


All My Life

by Overpowdered



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF, Youtubers
Genre: Angst, Bad is a great friend, Blood and Injury, Cruelty, Emotional Hurt, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay, Idiots in Love, Insecurity, Jealous Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), M/M, Mild Gore, Mild Torture Themes, Mutual Pining, Oblivious, Panic Attacks, Possessive Dream, Protective Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Protective George, Realistic Minecraft, Romantic Fluff, Slow Romance, Things might eventually get steamy, Touch-Starved, Violence, tags to be added as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:29:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 124,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27254971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Overpowdered/pseuds/Overpowdered
Summary: George was just living day by day unsatisfied with his life; it was just how things were. And then he met Dream, a young man alone and hurt in the woods. What was meant to be a kind gesture eventually turned into a surprising adventure for George. Dream wants George to come with him to help find his friend. What happens when this quest to find Dream's friend turns out to be the least of their problems? What if something even bigger is at stake?
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Zak Ahmed/Darryl Noveschosch
Comments: 338
Kudos: 628





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So this is my first time posting a fic and I hope you like it. I am not for shipping George and Dream as real people, rather I like the idea of them if that makes any sense. If they ever express discomfort in having fics written about them then I will take this down of course.  
> Note that this is set in a REALISTIC Minecraft world in case anyone missed that. There are elements of Minecraft but with touches of realism that you wouldn't actually find in the game itself.  
> ENJOY!

George woke up with a heavy feeling settled deep in his chest. He blinked up at his ceiling, confused. Nothing noteworthy has happened to wake up feeling this….unsettled. Yet he was.

He didn’t remember having any nightmares or dreams of any kind that night. So then why did he wake up feeling like something big was going to happen today?

Sighing, he cast aside his blankets and stood out of his bed. There was no way. Nothing big ever happened in his village other than occasional mining accident or pillager sighting. It was never anything big enough for concern and any problem they ever had was easily dealt with by the village warriors or their iron golem.

George moved throughout his empty house and attempted to get ready for the day. After he’d dressed in a deep blue shirt and cotton jeans, he looked out his kitchen window as he waited for his mutton to cook. The other villagers were already out and about doing their work or just chatting around with each other.

He couldn’t help but feel envious as he watched some of the villagers laughing and enjoying each other’s company. That he was an outcast himself was obvious. His house was at the edge of the village after all and the villagers ignored him, not coming even close to his home.

George snorted to himself. Why should he expect any different of these people? The only reason they hated him was because of his different views. So what if George liked the idea of traveling outside their village? God forbid! So what if he acted kindly to wandering traders and strangers that traveled past the village? Isn’t it natural to treat people with respect?

What was so wrong with the people of his village that they thought only the people in _their_ village mattered? George sighed, recognizing he was getting too heated in his own thoughts. If he thought he could make it out on his own then he would have taken off long ago.

However, anyone with common sense knew the dangers out in the world; how easy it was to be torn apart by zombies, blown up by creepers, or even eviscerated by dreaded Endermen. And that’s just the _mobs_. Other people could be worse, especially pillagers.  
  
No, going it alone with little knowledge of the land was suicide. George frowned to himself, feeling a familiar sense of disappointment. Even if he didn’t get along with his fellow villagers he supposed he should count himself lucky that there were so many of them. They could protect themselves from pillager raids and mobs if need be. 

The smell of burning meat made George gasp as he hurried to take his almost burnt mutton out of his smoker. He groaned at letting himself continuously get carried away in his thoughts.

Despite the burnt after-taste, George felt a bit better after eating a warm meal for breakfast. Deciding he was low on supplies, George grabbed his brown bag and guided it over his shoulder, checking that he had some basic supplies on him before he slipped out of his house.

He ignored the other villagers as he took the path that he knew would take him into the plains’ forest. While he was out he’d stock up on mushrooms for soup if he could find any. He also needed wood unless he could get his hands on some coal. He was running out of fuel.

As he entered the forest, he began to pick up sticks that he knew could provide good use for making arrows or used as small fuel. He fished in his bag for his stone axe and frowned at how worn it was. If only it were easier to trade in his village. If only the villagers liked him enough to trade with him.

Sighing, George continued deeper in the forest and mindlessly collected sticks. He was getting close to a cave he’d found once deep in the forest when he heard a noise. It was a slight shuffle.

George tensed and looked all around, stuffing his supplies in his bag except for his worn-out axe. It was the best thing he had to defend himself with. The sun still shone through the trees enough that he didn’t have to worry about much mobs, but still…

He realized the sound was coming beside the entrance to the cave and curiously went forward. Then suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of odd yellow and tan skin then froze. A pillager?

A muffled groan filled the air and George’s heart skipped a beat. That was a groan of pain if he ever heard it. It sounded like whoever it was meant to keep quiet. Was it a villager from his village? 

George crept closer to the tree beside the cave until he came into full view of the person. He froze for a second time and his breath caught in his throat. 

This was a stranger. There’s no way he’d ever forget a person that looked like _this_. It was definitely a male and he was pretty tall despite sitting against the tree with his legs sprawled out in front of him. The strangest thing about him was the odd yellow hoodie and the mask. The hood was pulled over his head and his face was hidden by a strange unsettling white smiling mask that covered all but his mouth and the bottom of his nose.

George’s eyes spotted the reason for the groan he heard earlier. The man was sitting in blood that was coming from his side. George unwilling gasped. That was a lot of blood.

Biting his lips and making sure the man had no weapons easily in hand, he traveled closer and hesitantly called out, “H-Hello? Are you alright?”

The male seemed to be unconscious and didn’t answer him. George got close enough to him so that he could check the injury. It wasn’t pretty and George sucked in a breath as pulled apart the rip in his hoodie to look at the wound more. 

It was strangely yellow, slightly brownish, and maybe a bluish gray in places…being colorblind George couldn’t tell what color it was entirely but the smell alone let him know the man’s wound was infected.

He needed to be treated or he’d die. George frowned as resolve settled in his bones. Whoever this person was…he didn’t deserve to die alone in such a way. Who _knows_ what happened to him? However, if he brought him back to the village the other villagers would only cast him out to die, not wanting to risk their safety to help a stranger. George pursed his lips.

“Wait here,” He said softly, as if the man could somehow hear him, “I’ll bring back stuff that can help!”

Immediately George took off in a full run, not wanting to leave the man by himself for too long. Since he knew the way, it only took him seven minutes to run back to his house. He ignored the strange looks he got as he sped into his house. He was breathing hard as he ran around his house, grabbing wool bandages, thread, and his last bottle of healing potion that he’d been saving for himself. He dropped off his supplies and stuffed the bandages in his bag before running back out of his house.

Within minutes the other male was coming back into view. George rushed over and squatted next to him before pulling the supplies he packed out of his bag. He pushed up the male’s hoodie and poured water on a piece of wool cloth before attempting to wash the wound as gently as he knew how. Afterwards he carefully began to stitch it up while continuously glancing up to make sure the man was still unconscious. 

It wasn’t the first time George had to stitch up a wound. He’d taught himself how to do it over the years. It’s not like he could ask the other villagers for help whenever he got hurt after all. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he worked and he used a small knife to cut the thread when he was finished.

The next part was the hardest. He unwrapped the long wool bandage and grabbed the man’s shoulder, pulling him forward slightly so he could wrap the bandage around the male’s waist. It took longer than expected but he got it decently wrapped and George leaned back, pleased with himself for a job well done  
.  
The only problem remaining was the healing potion. That would get rid of the infection and help the wound heal faster. However, the man was still unconscious and wouldn’t be able to drink it. Maybe if he tried to rouse him?

George reached out, biting his lip, and shook the man gently by the shoulder, “H-Hey…excuse me?”

“You should wake up now,” George said a little louder and felt brief annoyance that the man didn’t even stir. He shook a little hard and the man fell to the right a little.

Suddenly, in a blur of movement too fast for him to see, the man sprung upright, groaning in pain. Then, just as quickly, the man registered someone was there in front of him and growled, pushing George away.

“W-Whoa, hey!” George cried out as he hit the ground. He backed away immediately as the man continued to growl warningly at him. Blood was slowly soaking into the bandage at his side.

“I’m…I just wrapped you up but if you move around like that then you’ll waste all my hard work,” George blurted, surprising himself with his reaction to the man’s hostility.

The man’s mouth parted and he straightened in surprise. He glanced down at his side like he was just noticing the bandage. Then, to George’s surprise, he tensed up and looked over at him warily.

“You…you helped me?”

“I saw you there and noticed your wound was infected,” George explained carefully, “So I grabbed some stuff and fixed you up.”

The man canted his head and, although he was wearing a mask, George felt the man looking him up and down. A strange shiver ran up his spine but he ignored that when the man spoke again, “Why?”

“W-Why what?” George questioned, thrown off guard.

“Why’d you help me?” The man asked sounding incredulous, “You don’t know me.”

“No but…I saw you there and knew you’d die if I didn’t help,” George trailed off, at a loss for words, “Should I have _not_ helped you?”

Miraculously the man looked stunned before he cracked a small smile, “Well…I don’t know. It’s not often you meet a helpful stranger.”

George can’t help the amusement that flittered across his face, “It’s not often I meet a stranger at _all_.”

The man tilted his head as he studied George, “What is your name?”

For once, George felt a bit wary of the stranger, “I dunno…what’s yours?”

The man huffed a small laugh and winced, his arm curling around his side, “I asked you first…”

“Before we get into that, I meant to let you drink this,” George announced as he dug into his bag for the small bottle of healing potion.

He was unprepared for the way the man’s whole body stiffened and his mouth curled into a snarl. George’s eyes widened, “What is that?!”

“Its…its a healing potion,” George blinked, shocked, “It’ll get rid of your infection and heal your wound quicker.”

“I don’t need it,” He ground out through his teeth and George felt a pang of annoyance. He got that he was a stranger but did the man need to be on guard that much around him?

“You don’t trust it?” George questioned, tilting his head. The man went silent for a moment and regarded George behind his mask.

“I don’t trust _you_ ,” He said in a heavy tone that made a strange heat wash over George. Then it registered what he said.

“Come on now,” George sighed, allowing his annoyance to show, “If I _wanted_ to kill you then you’d be dead. Or I would have left you to die on your own.”

The man stayed silent but George could feel the man’s eyes were still on him. It made George feel unsettled and with a sudden surge of shock he realized that’s how he felt when he woke up this morning. That today was going to be different.

“That’s true but you never know what someone’s thinking,” The man spoke up darkly, distracting George from his thoughts. He parted his lips at the sad statement. The man must’ve been through some things to have such a violent reaction.

“This’ll help you though,” George sighed, glancing at the bottle, “If you don’t take it then the infection might not get better.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

George gawked at him. He didn’t trust him _that_ much? Jeez, “What can I do for you to trust me here?”

“Nothing,” The man said stubbornly, curling up and George could see now that there were holes in the mask for the man’s eyes to see through and George was startled to see pale yellow eyes glaring at him. Yellow eyes? He must have a type of green eyes then. George felt a surge of frustration.

Why did it matter so much that the stranger didn’t trust him? George didn’t really understand it but he felt insulted. He wouldn’t just kill a person for no reason at all. George knew he’d feel terrible if this man died when he could have helped him. And he _will_ die if he doesn’t drink the potion even if the man doesn’t seem to think so himself.

George glanced at his knife and grabbed it. The male tensed immediately but then gasped when George suddenly slashed his own arm. It wasn’t deep enough to need stitches or anything but George still winced at the sting of it.

“What the hell?!” The male cursed in his surprise and George saw his eyes widen behind the mask as George grabbed his healing potion and drank a small portion of it.

“I don’t make it a habit to hurt other people,” He said simply as he extended his hand and the bottle with the rest of the potion towards him.  
If possible, the stranger’s eyes widened even further before he let out a startling, and quite loud, laugh that turned into a wheeze. George’s eyes widened at the sound of it.

“What the _fuck_? Who _does_ that?!” The man wheezed, tears springing to his eyes as he clenched his side harder from the pain he felt as he laughed, “Who the hell are you?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” George replied in half seriousness, half amusement. The man’s laughter died down and, to George’s surprise and pleasure, he grabbed the healing potion from him.

“Fine…I’m Dream,” The man smirked a startling attractive smirk that made George feel that warmth again.

“Dream…? What kind of name is that?” George couldn’t help but ask, grinning. 

“A name I like,” He replied simply before glancing down at the potion. George watched as Dream drank the rest and then he tilted his head when Dream looked at him before smirking again, “Thanks for the potion. And for helping me out.”

“You’re welcome,” George smiled, feeling pleased that this stranger was becoming more relaxed around him, “I’m George by the way.”

“George…” Dream parroted as he studied him again. George felt an odd urge to squirm under his gaze, “Well…nice to meet you George.”

The way he said it made his stomach flip but George ignored that and returned the sentiment, “Nice to meet you too, Dream.”

“So, what are you doing in the forest? Are you from close by?” Dream asked carefully, staring at him warily. 

“I was gathering supplies,” George replied honestly as he thought about how much he should say, “I’m from a village that’s ten minutes from here.”

Dream’s eyes narrowed as he glanced into the forest. George thought about Dream’s reactions thus far and realized that Dream was almost…savage-like? Wild?  
  
“Are….are you from around here?” George asked hesitantly. Dream glanced over at him.

“No,” He replied, almost flatly. It was obvious he didn’t want to talk about where he was from. Suddenly Dream gestured to George’s arm, “Don’t you need to wrap that?”

“Oh…yeah, probably,” George blinked as he glanced down. Blood was running down his arm though it was nothing alarming. He grabbed a wool bandage from his bag and began to wrap it in silence. Dream studied him as he worked and it was almost uncomfortable.

“Are you usually this nice to strangers, George?” Dream asked curiously and George flushed a little.

“Well…yeah,” George answered slowly, “You’re the first one I’ve come across that needed my help though.”

Dream hummed in thought, “Why did you fix me out here instead of taking me to your village? Though I’m glad you didn’t.”

He finished tying the bandage on his arm and rose an eyebrow at Dream, “For one, the villagers in my village are…stuck up? Close-minded? They’d never accept a stranger like you, no offense.”

Dream’s eyes widened in understanding, “Oh I see…none taken. I’ve come across a couple of villages like that. No surprise there.”

George glanced up, feeling interested but decided not to ask. He sighed and shifted into a more comfortable position, “Besides…I didn’t want to give them more reason to hate me.”

He’d said that before he even really thought about it. Uncomfortable silence ensued and George cast his eyes to the side, suddenly awkward. Why had he said that? And to a complete stranger that could care less?

“What do you mean?” Dream finally asked, genuine confusion and even tension in his tone, “You don’t seem bad, if anything too innocent. Why would they hate you?”

George ignored that ‘too innocent’ comment and sighed, “I don’t get along well with any of them. My views on things are different….they don’t like me for it.”

“What about your family?” Dream questioned and George glanced at him, surprised to see that Dream looked a little angry.

“My parents died a few years ago…it’s just me,” George answered slowly, biting back the sadness he felt when he thought about that.

“Oh,” Dream trailed off, sucking in a breath, “Sorry….”

“It’s okay,” George shrugged, casting his eyes to the ground before changing the subject, “Can I…can I ask what _you’re_ doing in the forest?”

Dream stiffened before he relaxed into a nonchalant attitude, “I was trying to escape some pillagers. One got a lucky hit. Eventually before I knew it I was here. I don’t remember much.”

“What happened to the pillagers? You were able to escape?” George asked with a brow raised. Dream’s eyes roamed over to him and after they flashed, they darkened.

“I killed them,” He said simply and George’s eyes widened as he suppressed a shiver. The simple way he said it and the stare made George realize…Dream was dangerous. Yet he didn’t feel afraid of him.

Silence enveloped the air but it wasn’t as awkward as before. George silently put away his supplies and glanced over at Dream. He jolted when he saw that Dream’s eyes were trained on him. He glanced away, his cheeks heating up.

“H…How does your side feel?” He stammered, hating himself for it.

“It’s already feeling much better,” Dream answered in a low tone, his eyes still on George. He didn’t know how to feel about that. Why was Dream staring at him so much now? He felt like asking him would be too embarrassing.

Sighing, George slowly stood and reached into his bag for an apple he had on him. Dream was still staring at him silently when he turned and extended the apple towards him, “I better go back. You should eat this.”

“Thanks,” Dream smiled, showing off dimples George just now realized he had. George’s eyes widened.

“Will you be okay now?” George questioned hesitantly as he shuffled a couple steps back. He felt awkward. Dream was still looking at him. What was he thinking about?

“Yeah, I’ll probably get moving in another hour,” Dream answered as he finally cast his eyes away from George, making the smaller boy feel like he could breath easier.

“Okay…” George trailed off and turned, looking over his shoulder, “Then good luck to you, Dream.”

Dream’s answering smile was one that caused another wave of heat to travel through his body. George quickly whirled around and resisted the urge to sprint out of the forest as his cheeks flamed hotly.

He walked away, glad Dream didn’t see his stupid reaction. The closer he got back to his village the more regret he felt. Talking with Dream…that was the closest he’d felt to another person since his parents. George wilted, unwilling to look behind him.

Dream would be gone soon and that tiny connection he felt to him would go with him. George sighed. That’s the way it would be. No matter how nice it was to be with someone else, George couldn’t hold onto that. He was just glad he was able to help someone. It was nice enough to know that, thanks to him, someone was going to get to live. 

George smiled as he entered the village. He noticed that some of the villagers were staring at him oddly but he glanced away, ignoring that. It was a bit different than how they usually looked a him, but nothing was really new.

He put away his supplies and then sorted the sticks and logs he’d gotten before he ran into Dream. Too bad he didn’t get to go into the cave to get some coal. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

After he was finished sorting all his supplies and tidying up his small home, he put some more meat in the smoker to cook so he could eat lunch. His stomach was growling anyway. Distantly he wondered if Dream already left. It was getting close to noon now.

George felt a pit of loneliness creeping up on him and gently slapped his face with both hands. He wasn’t about to let himself feel that way. He had to go about his day just like normal. Just like he ways had.

Nevertheless, it was hard to ignore the loneliness as he ate his cooked meat by himself. He sighed and cleaned up from cooking before going about doing some crafting.

For the rest of that afternoon he crafted some more blankets and bandages from wool he had left over. He needed to replace the bandages he used today. His eyes unwilling traveled to his bandaged arm. He didn’t know what came over him when he cut himself. He just wanted to get Dream’s trust somehow and he felt like drinking his own healing potion was the way to go.

Still, he didn’t need to cut himself just to prove that. George chuckled, shaking his head. He didn’t blame Dream for his reaction…his face then was so-

George’s eyes widened. God, he kept thinking about Dream! Was he _that_ lonely? George shook his head again but then looked out the window, startled to see that it was evening and the sky was beginning to darken.

A flash of fire from a torch caught his eye and he glanced out his window, even more startled to see numerous of his fellow villagers around his house, most of them with torches in their hands.  
  
He left his wool behind and ran towards his front door, opening it to see the village elders. He narrowed his eyes at them, “W-What’s going on?”

They didn’t look friendly, but then again none of the villagers were ever friendly to him. So it shouldn’t have surprised him as much as it did when the elders stepped aside and a couple of the village warriors grabbed his upper arms, dragging him outside.

“H-Hey!” George gasped, shocked. Usually they just ignore and shun him, “What are you _doing_?!”

They threw him to the ground and drew weapons on him. One finally answered him, “I saw you as you went into the forest and followed. I saw you with that _stranger_.”

“Wha…” George’s eyes widened and as he looked up from the ground, it was to see a circle of nothing but hostile faces. Suddenly a cold feeling washed over him, “W-What about it…?”

He jumped when one of the elders spat at him in disgust, “You helped that stranger! A stranger that is a _danger_ to our village!”

“Then again we shouldn’t be surprised since its _you_ ,” Another warrior spoke up, sounding just as disgusted, “You wouldn’t care if the rest of us were threatened by the stranger!”

A deep wounded-type anger filled George. Why did they treat him like this? What had he ever done other than express his own views? Did they really think he was like that?

“Dream isn’t like that!” George found himself saying angrily, “He’s not a danger to us unless we’re a danger to _him!_ ”

George didn’t really know that for sure, but he found himself saying that anyway. And now he couldn’t take it back even if he wanted to. The hostile air about the other villagers increased.

“We want you out of our village, _traitor_!”

He gasped when he was struck in the head suddenly and realized someone threw a large rock at him. A _rock_! Warmth flooded down his face that he realized was his own blood, but he felt too stunned to do anything at first.

And then, shit started to go down. 

There was a whirring noise as a flaming arrow struck a house close by and immediately it was being engulfed in flames. The group surrounding George gasped and some of them began to disperse to deal with the fire.

There was more whirring and more flaming arrows. George began to panic just like the rest of the villagers. Were they being attacked by pillagers?! 

He attempted to stand up but a dizzy spell washed over him and he fell back to his knees. One of the warriors saw him move and kicked him to the ground, “Ah!”

“Stay down, traitor! This is probably _your_ fault! Acting all friendly with that stranger!” He yelled darkly, “You should have died with your parents!”

George’s eyes widened and a rage encompassed him but then suddenly there were more strange sounds and the warrior fell to the ground, blood pouring out of a deep wound on his chest. George choked back a scream, shuffling backwards.

There were hands on him and George jumped, crying out in fear despite himself but the hands were impossibly gentle and when George whirled his head around, he dizzily spotted a familiar smiley mask.

“D-Dream?”

A growl emitted from Dream and George was suddenly pulled close. Dream was armed with an iron sword, which was rare to see in his village, and George was shocked. Where did he have that?! 

Then George realized that Dream had the iron sword out in front of them, expertly wielded and he looked up into the shocked gazes of some of the villagers that were watching them with horror.

“Dream…?” George trailed off and gasped when Dream suddenly hooked one of his arms under George’s legs and lifted him as if he weighed the same as a sack of flour.

He was being carried off before he knew it and he dizzily looked up at Dream’s face, trying to see his eyes, but he couldn’t, “D-Dream…what are you doing?”

“You’re coming with me,” Dream answered in a growl and he said it in a way that sounded like George had no option. George’s eyes widened and if he didn’t feel so dizzy and sick to his stomach, he’d probably immediately push away in shock.

“What?!” He gasped and then Dream’s arms curled around him more, as if preventing him from escaping. George felt bewildered as Dream led him to one of the village horses and he briefly put George down.

“Dream, we can’t take the horse from the villagers!” George cried out with a tad bit of hysteria and confusion.

“Fuck the villagers,” Dream snarled, startling George, “Get on the horse, George.”

George briefly glanced over his shoulder at the villagers running about, trying to put out the fires to their houses. No one was coming after them. George yelped when Dream impatiently picked him up from under his arms and put him on the horse before mounting the horse behind him.

“Dream…where are we going?” George asked, reeling from everything happening all at once. He blushed when Dream’s arms reached around his waist for the reigns.

“Away from this shitty place,” Dream ground out angrily as he snapped the reigns and the horse took off. George glanced behind him at the retreating view of the burning village and knew that he should probably feel afraid that he was basically forced to leave by Dream, but all he felt was tear-inducing relief. 

“Dream….Dream was that you…with the fire arrows?” George asked quietly but made no move to look over his shoulder at the other male that had been consuming his thoughts since they met.

“Yeah that was me. I used the last of my arrows,” Dream muttered, obviously still pissed about whatever, “They deserved more than they got.”

Why was Dream so mad at the villagers anyway? George’s eyes widened when he realized something, “I thought you were long gone by now! And where did you get that iron sword and arrows…or any of that?!”

He turned to face Dream for the first time in awhile and Dream’s expression seemed to be calming a bit. He glanced at George for a second, “I had things stashed…when you left I went for them.”

“Oh…” George said as he raised an eyebrow. That made sense, “Then…why are you still close by? I thought you were gonna leave soon after I left you in the forest?”

“I was going to at first,” Dream answered quietly, not looking at George, “But I stuck around for some things…then I decided to scout out your village to see where you were from and what your village was like.”

“Really?” George asked, shocked. Why would Dream do that?

“Then I saw you in your house and watched you a little bit. That’s when I noticed the villagers acting all weird,” Dream confessed and his hands tightened on the reigns angrily. His eyes narrowed, “Then they started doing what they were doing to you and yelling at you…all because you met me. So I decided that you’ll come with me.”

George blinked, Dream’s words registering slowly in his brain, “You were watching me…? That’s kinda weird Dream.”

Dream looked at him and then slowly smirked. George flushed and quickly turned around. He wasn’t as bothered by Dream’s weird behavior as he knew he should be.

He already knew that Dream seemed….almost uncivilized…almost but not quite savage? And apparently he was almost as starved for companionship as George felt sometimes.

“You’re not scared are you George?” Dream asked suddenly and George once again felt dizzy from both the blow from before and his emotions.  
  
“No…” He trailed off, uncertain if he meant it or not, “But where are we going?”

“I’m gonna find us a safe place to camp before it gets too dark,” Dream answered with a kind of confident skip to his voice. At least he seemed to be doing better.

“Well…alright,” George said slowly, deciding to just go with it for now. 

Dream was a little weird and he didn’t know much about him yet, but being with him wasn’t as bad as being in that village or being on his own.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George learns why Dream's all alone and then he makes a decision; in which both George and Dream learn more about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the support on my very first chapter you guys! I'm so happy!

The sky was darker when Dream finally pulled the horse to a stop. George realized they were still in the forest and glanced around uneasily. It wasn’t until he did look around that he noticed a small cave opening tucked into the mountainside.

  
“Here, George,” Dream spoke suddenly, startling him out of his thoughts. George blinked at the hand Dream had extended to him and grabbed it. He realized a bit too late that Dream meant to help him down but once he grabbed Dream's hand he merely jumped down himself.

  
A wave of dizziness washed over him again due to that but thankfully it wasn't as bad as the other times and Dream placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him, “Don’t move around too fast.”

  
“Yeah…” George breathed out, remembering almost too late not to nod his head. He glanced up at Dream warily, “Why’d we stop here?”

  
Dream smiled, looking amused, “We’re gonna camp in that cave.”

  
“ _What_ \- but Dream, isn’t that dangerous?!” George gasped, peering around Dream to look at the dark cave again.

  
“Don’t worry,” Dream laughed, almost wheezing for some reason, “It’s small and a dead end. If we build a fire then nothing will come in.”

  
“If you say so,” George answered tensely, wincing at the ache in his head. Dream finished tying the horse’s reign to a branch and looked at George seriously.

  
“Can you gather some wood?” Dream asked as he eyed George. George felt a pang in his chest that wasn’t entirely uncomfortable, “I’m going to look around and make sure there’s no mobs.”

  
“Sure,” George nodded, almost thankful in a way. He knew _he_ wasn’t in shape enough to face any mobs and was relieved Dream was going to scout out to make sure there weren’t any mobs beforehand.

  
“Stay close though,” Dream warned, narrowing his yellowish eyes and George blinked, he almost sounded _worried_. That’s odd.

  
“Okay,” George grinned, unable to help himself. He turned and began to carefully gather large sticks or fallen branches to use as kindle and firewood.

  
Suddenly George wished that he could have gathered some of his supplies from his home before Dream whisked them off, but he knew based off Dream’s reaction to his fellow- well his _old_ villagers that there’s no way they’d go back there. It's not like they'd be allowed there after what happened anyways.

  
He still wasn’t sure how he felt about Dream ordering him around but Dream _did_ get him out of that sticky situation with the villagers. George’s heart sank as he remembered how the villagers had grown so hostile that they straight _attacked_ him. Sure there was mutual dislike that grew over the years but he was born there. It seemed so easy for them to turn on him completely.

  
George sighed as he straightened, arms full of small sticks and thicker branches. He made his way back to the horse, feeling momentarily depressed with how things progressed so quickly in one day. There was a snapping noise and George whirled around, his head pounding by the reaction and then he felt silly for his almost wild reaction as Dream stood there, blinking at him, “You okay?”

  
“Yeah…” George answered, looking away from Dream’s face, “Did you see any mobs?”

  
“There was a zombie; it was stuck in a hole,” Dream grinned, sounding amused again, “I killed it just in case though.”

  
George sighed, relieved, “Good. Well I got some things for a fire.”

  
“Great. Let me help you with those,” Dream said lightly as he sheathed his sword on his back and grabbed nearly all the bundle in George’s arms instead of just half. George blinked but said nothing about that. 

  
He followed Dream into the cave and resisted the urge to grab the taller male’s sleeve when darkness engulfed them. Just as quickly as that urge appeared there was a small clacking noise and then there was a growing fire. George jumped as he glanced down to see Dream stacking the sticks and branches closer together as the fire spread. He recognized the object in Dream’s hands.

  
“You had flint?” George asked in awe and Dream blinked up at him before smiling.

  
“Yeah. I have a lot of things,” He teased and George blushed lightly, frowning at him. Dream used the flint once more to spread the fire looking oddly pleased about something.

  
“I should get some more wood,” George thought aloud as he stared at the budding fire. There wasn’t enough wood for the fire to last even two hours. Dream glanced up quickly.

  
“No, I’ll do it,” Dream interjected and George blinked over at him in surprise. Dream then patted the stone floor of the small cave, “You should take care of your head while I do it.”

  
George’s eyes widened, his fingers automatically going up to the cut to the top right of his head. He winced when he accidentally brushed against it. It stung. Sighing, George gave a small nod and sat carefully next to the growing fire.

  
“Then I’ll be right back,” Dream spoke up after glancing at George again. George watched him walk out of the cave before reaching into the bag over his shoulder. He barely had anything left since he’d put things away back in his house at the village but there was still wool left.

  
George used a bit of water and cleaned his face of blood. It wasn’t too much since the cut wasn’t deep and for that he was thankful. He was probably already looking like a mess. George stuck his tongue out slightly in concentration as he cleaned up the cut and then taped a small portion of wool to it.

  
By the time he finished Dream was coming back looking oddly cheerful for someone who had been dying of infection hours earlier. He began placing the bundle he brought back with him into the fire as George watched him quietly.

  
“How’s your head?” Dream spoke up and George hummed tiredly.

  
“It still aches but it’s better than before,” He answered as he stared down into the flames. Now that they were settled in the cave, George's body felt heavy.

  
“Awesome,” Dream said with a grin as he placed the last bundle into the fire. His grin fell when he noticed George still quietly staring into the flames, “You okay?”

  
“Huh..?” George blinked out of his daze and looked over at Dream, who was staring at him questioningly, “Oh yeah…just tired I guess.”

  
“You can sleep first. I’ll stay awake for a few more hours to keep watch for anything,” Dream drawled as he watched George’s surprised reaction.

  
“Keep wat-well I guess that makes sense,” George almost gasped before sighing, “I can keep watch too, at least later.”

  
“Oh you can?” Dream said in a teasing way again but George saw that he clearly doubted him, “Do you even know how to _swing_ a weapon, George?”

  
“Of course I do!” George huffed and Dream laughed, “I just might not be as experienced as _you_.”

  
“Definitely not,” Dream smirked and George shuddered slightly, “Are you cold?”

  
George found it both amusing and astonishing that Dream seemed genuinely concerned for his wellbeing. They’d only met hours earlier and Dream had been so on guard then. What changed?

  
“Yeah…” George finally answered when Dream canted his head questioningly at him. Dream turned and started rummaging in a bag George didn’t even notice at all before then. He rose an eyebrow. How unobservant of him. He almost wanted to laugh if he didn’t feel so drained.

  
Dream held up something, it looked like a darker yellow cloth and then to George’s shock he realized it was _another_ hoodie.

  
“How many of those do you _have_?!” He yelled and Dream started laughing that wheezing laugh.

  
“Just, like, three,” Dream answered, still laughing, “The one I’m wearing was my favorite though.”

  
George could tell he meant it because there was a touch of sadness lingering in his tone as he came down from laughing. George accepted the other hoodie quietly. Maybe he could fix Dream’s favorite hoodie tomorrow if he liked that one so much. He wasn’t sure he could get all the blood stain out though.

  
“Well…thanks,” George murmured, sitting up straighter to pull the large hoodie over his head. He was surprised to find it nearly engulfed him. The sleeves almost went over his fingers and he had to sit up on his knees so the hoodie could settle to mid-thigh. 

  
“Wow, I knew you were tall but…” George trailed off when he glanced up and Dream was staring at him again. He quickly looked away, feeling like his cheeks would start flaming again.

  
“Is it warm enough?” Dream asked, something low in his tone. George couldn’t fight a huge yawn and he carefully nodded, “Okay, good.”

  
George pulled the bag from over his head and decided to use it as a pillow. It wasn’t the _best_ pillow ever but it was better than resting on stone. Hopefully soon they could get some bed rolls soon or something.

  
Speaking of which, George made a mental note to ask Dream what they were meant to do now once he woke up again. For now, his eyes fluttered shut unwillingly and sleep began to take him over as soon as he settled.

  
He swore that Dream said _something_ before he fell asleep but he wasn’t sure what.

* * *

The next morning, at sunrise, George blinked awake and couldn’t have been more unprepared for the sight of Dream lying practically right next to him. He’d used his own bag for a pillow and was sleeping on George’s left side, facing him.

  
 _‘He still slept with a mask on?’_ George mused to himself, confused. Surely that wasn’t comfortable. He couldn’t see it very well, but it almost looked like there was a sprinkling of freckles on the taller man’s cheeks.

  
Shaking himself out of his thoughts, George slowly sat up and winced as his sore body protested the movements. He stretched and glanced around the cave. It’d been hard to see the night before since it was so dark, but it really _was_ a small cave. It was probably only big enough for a bear or two to rest in.

  
Good thing there weren’t actually any bears. George smiled to himself as he stood carefully and stretched the kinks out of his body more. He glanced at Dream, who was still fast sleep. A wave of chill air washed across George’s skin and he shivered, adjusting the hoodie he wore.

  
He nearly forgot Dream lent him the hoodie. An unwilling blush crept to his cheeks as he thought about Dream’s reaction; that intense staring. This was impossible…why did almost everything Dream do make him feel embarrassed?

  
George grabbed his bag off the floor and decided to distract himself by hunting for food while he waited for Dream to wake up. It’d be cruel to wake him up now. He needed the rest anyway so his side would get better not to mention Dream kept watch last night and never woke him up. George made another mental note to check on Dream’s injury later.

  
He walked into the forest, passing the horse that was thankfully still tied to the branch, and looked around for birds or animals of any kind. If he could spot one then he could go back and get his axe. Or maybe he could persuade Dream to let him use his iron sword.

  
He wandered around for a few minutes but stayed close just in case he needed to run back to the cave. He came through some thick bushes when he spotted apple trees. Oh perfect! George began climbing the first tree and started picking apples, feeling oddly at peace despite everything that happened the day before. After plucking as many apples as he could, he stuffed them in his bag and jumped down, picking a few that had dropped to the ground.

  
Then, suddenly, a figure burst through the bushes and the abruptness of it made George stumble to the ground in shock, his heart leapt into his chest. In the same second George realized it was just Dream, but Dream had an expression from _hell_ on his face from what he could tell and George didn’t know what to _do_ about that.

  
And then Dream spotted him there half on the ground and his murderous expression vanished in an instant, relief taking it’s place, “George, there you are!”

  
“Uh,” George stammered, unsure what to do, “H-Here I am.”

  
Dream knelt next to him as George sat up slowly and continued, “What was that expression for? You scared the hell outta me by the way.”

  
“I…well when I woke up and you were gone, I thought that maybe those villagers from before might have….” Dream trailed off, a distant look in his eyes. There was something else there too, but George couldn’t figure out what it was.

  
“Oh,” George blinked, suddenly relieved that Dream wasn't angry at _him_ , “Sorry. I didn’t want to wake you up since you need rest to heal properly. And we needed food!”

  
Dream looked over at him and smiled slightly, “Well thanks…but next time you should really warn me when you plan to wander.”

  
“Aww were you worried about me that much?” George could help but tease and Dream rolled his eyes.

  
“Actually yes, you idiot,” Dream muttered but George didn’t feel offended. He laughed.

  
“Can you help me carry these? They’re our breakfast,” George grinned and Dream chuckled, nodding his head. George gave Dream some of the apples to carry and together they walked back to the cave.

  
“You know…”Dream piped up, uncharacteristically uncertain and George glanced over at him. He spoke up more quietly, “I kind of lied. I _did_ think the villagers could have come and that made me mad...but at first I thought you just left.”

  
George’s eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. It was obvious that Dream was upset by the idea that George would just up and leave, “I’m…I’m sorry Dream. I’m not the type of person that leaves for no reason though.”

  
“Right,” Dream nodded seriously and then playfully added, “The look on your face earlier was pretty funny though.”

  
George pouted, “Only because you looked like you were about to start _murdering_ someone.”

  
Dream’s smirk widened and George felt an odd thrill go through him. Right…Dream was dangerous. Well dangerous to everyone but George. Why was that though? 

  
“If those villagers bothered us again I would have,” Dream shrugged, still smirking and they were back to their cave by then. George supposed the idea should have bothered him, but it didn’t. They silently packed away the extra apples and kept one out each to munch on for their breakfast.

  
Neither of them said anything as they sat next to the extinguished fire pit and ate. When he was finished, George regarded Dream silently. He felt anxious but he remembered that he needed to ask Dream some questions, “Hey Dream?”

  
“Hmmm?” Dream hummed, looking over at him. He wasn’t done eating.

  
“What are we going to do now?” George asked hesitantly and he hated how anxious he knew he appeared. Dream froze, “You wanted me to come with you…but are we just traveling or do you have a goal in mind?”

  
Dream went silent for a minute and his eyes darkened slightly, “Well, actually, I’ve been traveling for a reason.”

  
“Really?” George piped up, curious. He perked slightly, glad Dream wasn’t angry. For some reason, Dream relaxed and smiled at him. 

  
“Yeah. I’ve been traveling on my own for years now,” Dream added, a hint of something to his voice. George felt a sympathetic pang of loneliness at his words but shook his head to clear his thoughts.

  
“What have you been traveling for?” George asked carefully, not wanting Dream’s guard to go up again. Dream stiffened and he glanced at George, looking uncertain.

  
“I’m looking for someone,” He answered quietly and George’s eyes widened. George decided not to say anything. He didn’t want to cross any lines and have Dream become angry with him. When George didn’t say anything Dream glanced at him, raising a brow, “You’re not gonna ask me who I'm looking for?”

  
“You’ll tell me if you _want_ to,” George answered hesitantly, averting his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to pressure Dream to answer questions he might not want to answer. When he glanced back, he saw Dream looking at him with slightly wide eyes.

  
“You’re so _different_ ,” He muttered so quietly that George almost didn’t hear him. His heart skipped a beat. Was that a good or bad thing?

  
“I’ll tell you,” Dream spoke up before George could think too hard about what Dream said, “And then you could decide for yourself if you want to join me or not.”

  
“Okay,” George smiled, somewhat pleased that Dream was trusting him a bit. Though inwardly he was sort of amused. He was dragged out of his village and it seemed _that_ wasn’t an option but now he had one? George wanted to laugh but he refrained from it. He wondered if Dream knew how he acted sometimes.

  
“Five years ago my village was attacked by a huge pillager raid,” Dream sighed, looking distinctly uncomfortable and George gasped, not expecting that, “Everyone was slaughtered and those that weren’t were taken away by the pillagers.”

  
“Taken away?” George couldn’t help but ask. He felt startled. Pillagers don’t often kidnap people. In fact, it was _unheard_ of. Pillagers were ruthless and only sought to destroy, ruin, and steal things...not steal _people_!

  
“Yeah. It was mostly the teenagers and young adults that were taken,” Dream growled and George frowned sadly, “The attack was…terrible to say the least. My entire family was slaughtered in the attack...”

  
The silence that ensued was heavy and George’s heart went out to him, “I’m so sorry to hear that…truly…”

  
Dream nodded, it felt easier telling this story to George because George _did_ understand what it was like to lose someone. Dream wasn’t sure how George had lost his parents but it didn’t really matter at the moment.

  
“Then…c-can I ask…..” George felt frustrated at his stammering but he didn’t know how to word the question just right. He didn’t want to upset Dream more than he already was. 

Dream smiled slightly, somehow knowing what he was trying to ask, “The person I’m looking for is a friend that was taken during that attack.”

  
He watched George’s reaction carefully. George’s eyes widened before his face fell into a sad empathic one that Dream was learning _had_ to be a George thing. No one he’s ever come across was like that. None except _George_. It made his heart skip a beat.

  
“My best friend was captured during that raid. His name is Sapnap,” Dream continued and this time his heart twisted painfully as he thought about his friend, “He was coming back to help me…I…I was attacked but I wasn’t really fighting back like I should have. The despair and shock I felt after losing my family was too much back then. I got hurt pretty bad but I remember seeing him defending me at one point before I blacked out. When I woke up he was gone just like the other survivors. I know he was taken because I never found his body.”

  
There was more silence and Dream looked over to see George staring at him with that same empathic look from before. It wasn’t pity, just an understanding sadness and Dream was sort of mesmerized by George sometimes.

  
“He sounds like a great friend,” George finally spoke up, although quietly, “So he was taken by those pillagers…do you have any idea who they are?”

  
Dream allowed his frustration to show, “I only know that most of them had this strange tattoo on their necks. It was a spiky crescent shape. I’ll _never_ forget it. I’ve tried researching to figure out where their outpost is but I’ve had no luck all these years.”

  
“Really?” George gasped and Dream glanced at him. George stared into space, “I know pillagers sometimes have tattoos representing a clan but I haven’t heard of that particular one.”

  
“A lot of people haven’t,” Dream sighed, staring at the ground, “I’ve tried asking villagers when I come across them but they don’t exactly receive me well. And sometimes they're hostile towards me and won't let me close to the village.”

  
“Maybe because of your mask,” George joked lightly and Dream huffed, smirking a bit, “You do look kind of unsettling, Dream.”

  
“Do I unsettle _you_?” Dream asked suddenly and George felt a jolt when Dream looked at him directly.

  
“No,” George lied, hoping the other party couldn’t tell. If he did, he didn’t let it show, “So then…you think your friend, Sapnap, is still alive?”

  
Dream tensed for a second and George felt like slapping himself for such an insensitive question. Dream relaxed a moment later, “Yes I think he’s still alive.”

  
“What makes you think so?” George questioned curiously. Dream looked at him and just smirked.

  
“A gut feeling,” He answered and then he wheezed at George’s incredulous look, “Plus Sapnap is actually pretty smart and cautious. I’m sure he’s kept himself alive. Besides I have to keep searching until I at least find out what happened to him.”

  
“I see,” George trailed off. Dream’s face lit up when he talked about Sapnap. He must really care for him. George smiled to himself. So Dream was someone who really cared for his friends? That was nice. Looks like he doesn’t really need to think about his answer to Dream’s first suggestion then.

  
“I’ll help you,” George spoke up confidently and Dream nodded before whirling his head around to look at George in shock. George laughed louder than he had in _years_.

  
“Wait, what did you say?” Dream asked, breathless. 

  
“I said I’ll help you,” George smiled before becoming a bit more serious, “It isn’t right that you have to do this all on your own especially after all these years.”

  
George didn’t add that he wanted to help Dream because he felt Dream helped him. Dream _did_ help him, he helped him escape his pathetic lonely life in a village where no one even _liked_ him.

  
Dream was staring at him like he was something otherworldly, which made him want to chuckle, but then he reached out and George’s eyes widened when Dream wrapped an arm around the back of his head and pulled him in a tight hug. His face was pressed against Dream's chest.

  
“ _Thank you_ ,” Dream whispered around the lump in his throat. He didn’t know what else to say other than that. No one has ever offered Dream their help. At least not in this way. George heard his story and answered him so quickly, like he didn’t even need to _think_ about it. George was too good of a person. Dream felt in that moment that he was extremely lucky to have met George.

  
George was shocked at the level of emotion Dream showed for a second before wrapping his arms around the taller male. He smiled genuinely, “You’re welcome. Besides I’ve never left my village before and this’ll be like a big adventure for me!”

  
Dream let go of George and chuckled, “Yeah.”

  
“But…did you have a lead? Is that why you were close to my village?” George asked as he tilted his head at Dream. 

  
“Yeah. I was told that someone in a huge town from the taiga village close to here was looking for the same group of pillagers as me,” Dream explained slowly as he looked outside the cave thoughtfully, "That's where I was headed before a random group of traveling pillagers attacked me close to your village."

  
“Really?” George gasped, his brown eyes lighting up, “You think that person might know something you don’t know?”

  
“It’s possible,” Dream shrugged as stretched out his legs, “I’m also wondering if they’re looking for the same group of pillagers for the same reason as me.”

  
“You think someone was taken from them too?” George inquired and felt a pang in his chest at the thought. Dream nodded, “Why would these pillagers take people anyways?”

  
“Who knows? I intend to find out though,” Dream scowled dangerously and George’s heart skipped a beat.

  
“You mean _we’ll_ find out,” George butt in as he grinned when Dream peered over at him. Dream smiled in return.

  
“Yeah, _we’ll_ find out,” He amended, feeling a warmth spread across his chest at the words, “We should get going, George. It’s still another day and a half ride to that taiga village.”

  
“Okay…but how do you know exactly where it is though?” George questioned in confusion and Dream laughed, fishing in his bag for a map.

  
“The person who told me about the village marked it on this map for me,” Dream explained and George’s eyes lit up in understanding, “I also have a compass.”

  
“Nice,” George grinned and Dream stared at his face for a moment before looking away when George looked back up at him, “Then let’s get going!”

  
“Yeah, let’s go,” Dream grinned as they both stood and began gathering their things.

* * *

“We really need to get another horse soon,” George spluttered in embarrassment, unsure what to do with his hands as Dream urged the horse to pick up speed. Dream laughed, unable to help himself. He’s noticed how easily embarrassed George was and it was honestly very amusing to him. He didn’t mind George’s closeness though. It was sort of comforting.

  
“We’ll find one for you,” Dream chuckled and then he noticed George squinting, “Is the sun bothering you?”

  
“Uh, kinda,” George replied, still sounding embarrassed, “My eyes are kind of sensitive I guess.”

  
Dream hummed, frowning to himself. He urged the horse to go a little faster. He wanted to get as much ground in as he could so that way they could find a decent place to camp when it got dark.

  
His attention was drawn by George when he noticed George’s face brightening as he used his hand to block some sunlight and look around. He was grinning and Dream couldn’t help but smile. Who could ever be as mean as those villagers were to someone like _George_?

  
“Hey George,” Dream spoke up, an idea popping into his head on how to get to know the smaller male more. George squinted over his shoulder, looking at Dream questioningly.

  
“Yeah?”

  
“How about we ask each other some questions? Get to know each other more?” Dream suggested and blinked when George blushed a bit. Dream felt an odd urge to smirk.

  
“Uh, sure…you can go first. I’m not really sure what to ask,” George nearly stuttered and thats when he realized George was still on edge with him. He’d seen it earlier when George was questioning him. He’s _nervous_ around Dream; he’s afraid to anger him. Something in Dream’s chest tightens. He doesn’t want George to be scared of him.

  
“Alright I’ll start,” Dream drawled, keeping an eye on the path in front of him, “Easy one. How old are you?”

  
George’s eyes widened, “Oh. Um, I’m 23.”

  
Dream rose an eyebrow. He sure didn’t _look_ twenty-three years old, “I see. I’m 21 myself.”

  
“Really?” George replied, his eyes lighting up in interest and Dream grinned, nodding his head, “I thought for sure you’d be older than me.”

  
“Nope,” Dream teased, still grinning, “Your turn to ask me something.”

  
“Well…how long have you been friends with Sapnap?” He asked hesitantly and a cold feeling washed over Dream for a moment.

  
“Since we were toddlers I guess,” Dream answered quietly, clenching the reigns.

  
“Oh…must be nice,” George sighed and Dream cocked an eyebrow before paling when he remembered how George was treated in his village. Did that mean he's never had a friend before? 

  
“Yeah it’s nice,” Dream frowned before forcing himself to smile a little, “Sapnap would probably like you a lot.”

  
“Really?” George perked up, pleased. He was smiling again.

  
“Yeah. I can’t wait for you two to meet,” Dream grinned and George laughed. George’s laughs always sound so cheerful.

  
“It’s your turn now by the way,” George admitted, sounding amused and Dream blinked.

  
“Oh, right,” Dream chuckled, “What’s your favorite color, George?”

  
Surprisingly, George’s smile fell and he was silent for a moment before answering, “Blue.”

  
“Blue?” Dream parroted, eyes narrowing at George. Why did he react like that? George glanced at him and then looked away, nodding.

  
“It’s the color I see best…the most vibrant one anyway,” George explained as he looked up at the path ahead of them, “I’m colorblind.”

  
Dream sucked in a surprised breath and felt a bit guilty for some reason, “Oh…what’s that like exactly if you don’t mind me asking?”

  
George smiled again, chuckling, “Um, I don’t know how to explain it. The colors I have the hardest time seeing are green and red. Like right now you look almost dark yellowish?”

  
Dream rose an eyebrow, “Oh…interesting…”

  
“Yeah. I’ve always been this way so it doesn’t really bother me as much as people think,” George shrugged but then added, “It’s just difficult sometimes.”

  
“I bet,” Dream nodded in agreement. Then suddenly the pair noticed something in the distance and gasped.

  
“Dream, is that a village?” George asked, clearly surprised. Dream felt surprised too. There wasn’t a village marked on the map there. Figures, “That’s not the one though. This isn’t a taiga biome.”

  
“No it’s not the one,” Dream retorted lightly as he urged the horse on, “But this is good. We can camp here tonight and reach the taiga village sometime tomorrow.”

  
“Well, sounds good to me,” George grinned, “I was actually hoping to do some trading if they'll let me!”

  
Dream said nothing as they got closer to the village. It wasn’t a big village, not as big as George’s was. Once they were close enough some of the villagers looked at them warily. Dream stopped the horse by an empty fence just outside the village and went to tie the horse to it.

  
He was surprised when George hopped off the horse with a genuine smile on his face and Dream had to remember that George was probably used to ignoring negativity around him. He grinned and followed as George beckoned him to walk with him.

  
As they entered the village people continued to stare at them with anticipation and wariness. Some outright froze when they caught a glimpse of Dream. It was then he realized his hoodie was still covered in his blood. That surely didn’t help his image at all.

  
George followed Dream’s gaze and winced, “Oh…right. No wonder they look spooked.”

  
For some reason this made Dream laugh and surprisingly, George laughed as well. Then George spoke up, “Later I can try to fix and clean it up for you.”

  
“What….really?” Dream asked, turning to the smaller boy in shock. George nodded, grinning as he did, “Thanks...”

  
“No problem,” He replied and his attention was stolen by an approaching villager. Dream watched George tense ever so briefly and it made him frown.

  
“Hello travelers,” The villager greeted and Dream decided this must be a village elder. He was watching them carefully, “What brings you here?”

  
“We…We just wanted to trade a few things…possibly,” George answered timidly, his fingers curling into the hoodie Dream let him wear. Dream still thought it made him look impossibly smaller, especially standing next to _him_.

  
“We also want to stay a night here. We’ll leave in the morning,” Dream spoke up nonchalantly, “We haven’t had a chance to clean up.”

  
“I see,” The villager replied, his eyes roaming over Dream’s attire before he turned to George, “We have some things available for trade over there. As for a room, there is a empty house over there you could borrow for the night.”

  
George and Dream followed where the elder was pointing. It was in the back of the small village next to another fenced area that held cows. George smiled and turned to the elder almost shyly, “Thanks.”

  
“You’re welcome,” The elder nodded and he walked past them. Dream watched the tension leave George’s shoulders once the elder left.

  
“Why don’t we go see if there’s anything we can trade?” Dream spoke up, placing a hand on George’s shoulder. George nodded hesitantly.

  
They walked side by side closer to the center of the village. Dream kept his eyes down on the path and his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. He was starting to get tired of all the stares. He only looked up when George stopped at the first market stall. The man attending it welcomed them with a smile.

  
Dream watched with slight fascination as George began talking with the villager. He still appeared hesitant but George seemed to brighten the longer the villager didn’t frown at him. George was able to get a little bit with some things he owned in that bag of his. 

  
“Yes!” George cried victoriously as he was handed two thick and furry leather bed rolls. Dream blinked in surprise, “Thank you!”

  
“No, thank _you_!” The villager laughed as he pawed through all the cut wool George traded him.

  
“Bed rolls?” Dream asked as he shifted closer to George to look at the items. The smaller male glanced up at him almost shyly before nodding, “Not bad...”

  
“It’s not better than a _real_ bed of course,” George laughed a small laugh, “But it’s better than sleeping on a hard ground.”

  
“True,” Dream smiled, “I’ve just never come across anyone that would actually trade them before. Not that people trade to _me_ anyways.”

  
“I was worried they wouldn’t have any,” George admitted, casting his eyes away from Dream, “But now we can rest easier.”

  
“Yeah…” Dream trailed off. He looked up and around. It was already starting to become darker, “Let’s head in that house they’re letting us borrow.”

  
“Okay,” George nodded, following after Dream with the bedrolls gathered closely in his arms. Dream smirked at how small George looked before shaking his head.

  
Once they made it inside the small home they both froze when they realized one critical oversight. There was only one bed. Dream glanced at George and the rosy blush that graced his face was quite flattering. 

  
“Good thing you just got two bedrolls, huh?” He joked, startling George, “I’ll sleep on one of them. You take the bed.”

  
“What?! No!” George frowned, taking a step away from Dream, “You still have to recover so _you_ should sleep on the bed!”

  
Dream rolled his eyes, “George, I’m not taking the bed. So either you take it or we’re both sleeping on bed rolls.”

  
“Wha…Dream you’re just being stubborn,” George muttered, annoyed and Dream chuckled.

  
“You have _no_ idea,” He flashed a smile and George sighed, shaking his head, “Or if you really want me to sleep in the bed we can just share.”

  
It was a joke. Dream found that he liked making George blush. So when George looked at him, his eyes widening and a scarlet blush flooding his face, Dream wheezed happily.

  
“W-What?! You’re such an _idiot_ , Dream!” George protested, willing his blush to go away as Dream continued wheezing.

  
“Sorry, sorry,” He laughed, raising his hands to placate the smaller male. George shot him a dirty look because it was obvious he wasn’t _actually_ sorry.

  
A little later they had a bedroll all made up for Dream and they were sitting on the floor against the bed together, both eating a piece of bread and apples they collected earlier. Dream hummed, “I’ll have to hunt for some meat soon. We've had nothing but apples.”

  
“Yeah and maybe soon I can try to make some arrows,” George spoke up as he looked over at Dream, “I’ve done it before. We'd have to get feathers though.”

  
Dream smirked, “Awesome. I know how to make them too. Feathers aren't too hard to come by...”

  
“Hey, do you have a pickaxe, Dream?” George asked suddenly and Dream blinked at him.

  
“Yeah, in my pack, why?”

  
“If we see any good caves on the way to that taiga village we should try to find more iron,” George explained as he took another bite of his bread, “I don’t have a weapon and I'll need one.”

  
“That’s true,” Dream’s eyes widened in realization, “We’ll have to keep an eye out.”

  
There was a moment of silence as they ate and Dream grinned, unable to help himself, “Though _I_ can protect you, of course.”

  
“Oh my _God_ , Dream,” George groaned, pushing his shoulder playfully, “I didn’t think you were like this.”

  
Dream laughed, feeling more alive than he’s felt in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream and George bond over past memories; they finally meet the person they're looking for in the taiga biome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for all the love! I appreciate it so much! Thank you guys that have commented, each one has made me smile! 
> 
> Enjoy!

The next morning George woke up to see that Dream wasn’t there. His bed roll was folded up and there was a piece of paper on it. Curiously he got up and inspected the paper, blinking when he discovered it was note from Dream.

  
_George,_   
_I went to see if one of the villagers had a fishing pole so that we could try and catch some fish. If I'm not there when you wake up then that means they had one and I'm fishing._   
_Dream_

  
George found that Dream’s handwriting was actually nice. It suited him if such a thing made sense. He placed the note away and decided to go join Dream. If he was near water then he could go ahead and try to fix Dream’s hoodie for him while he fished; if he was fishing like he said he might that is.

  
He slipped out of the small house with all his things, just in case, and smiled when some of the villagers looked at him. His heart unwillingly skipped a beat out of habit. At least here the villagers didn’t look at him with disdain. They were just wary of potentially dangerous strangers. George realized he wasn’t sure where Dream went exactly, so he stopped the closest villager and shyly asked, “Um, sorry to bother you. Have you seen my friend in the ye- I mean green hoodie?”

  
“Oh the smiley-faced guy?” The woman blinked and George let out a chuckle despite himself at the way she identified Dream, “He went down that path to the left. He was going fishing I think.”

  
George brightened, trying to appear friendly, “Thank you!”

  
“You’re welcome,” She smiled and it made George feel happy. There were actual nice people in the world. Sounds dramatic but it’s hard to believe sometimes.

He took the path as instructed and within a couple of minutes he spotted his friend relaxing on the bank of the river, a fishing pole in hand. There was also a woven basket at his side and George noticed there were already a couple of cod in there. Wow.

  
“Dream!” George boomed, grinning. Dream didn’t even startle, how unfair, but did turn around quickly.

  
“Good morning George,” He smirked, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the smaller male, “I see you got my note.”

  
“Of course I did,” George rolled his eyes, setting his things down beside Dream when he got close enough, “And I see you already caught some fish.”

  
“Yup. I figured I’d catch a little more so we could have fish for dinner too,” Dream stated before he smiled again, “The villager I got this fishing pole from said I could keep it.”

  
“That’s nice of him,” George blinked before remembering why he came to find Dream, “Oh, hey, I can take care of your hoodie now if you wanna take it off.”

  
“Sure,” Dream grinned as he set his fishing pole aside and stripped himself of his beloved hoodie. George tried not to stare at the black tank top that exposed his friend’s impressive muscles and well-toned chest. 

  
He glanced away after he grabbed the hoodie from Dream and turned to the water, “I’m not sure all the blood will come out though.”

  
“That’s alright,” Dream shrugged, “I’ll probably just have to get a new one.”

  
George went silent as his eyes narrowed his concentration. He scrubbed vigorously for awhile and was pleased to see some of the blood coming out. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and glanced up to see Dream scooting to sit right beside him, “Dream?”

  
“What?” Dream asked, turning to him with a grin. George decided it was just one of those random things Dream did that he didn’t understand. He was monetarily distracted when he noticed that Dream’s hair was longer than he expected and swept handsomely across his forehead. It was also a dirty-blonde color. Interesting.

  
“I’ve got some of the blood stain out already,” George said, trying to distract himself as he went back to scrubbing Dream’s hoodie in the river.

  
“Perhaps this will help,” Someone said and there was a flurry of movement as Dream pushed himself in front of George quickly, narrowing his eyes at the stranger. George’s eyes widened at the back of Dream’s head. How was he so _quick?_

  
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” The man spoke up as he put his hands up, glancing warily at Dream’s mask, “I’m a cleric here. I don’t mean any harm.”

  
“Oh a cleric!” George gasped and then beamed in delight, “That’s great!”

  
His excitement apparently surprised both Dream and the stranger. The stranger chuckled and Dream scooted back, relaxing. The stranger pointed to himself, “My name’s Punz! Nice to meet ya!”

  
“Nice to meet you too,” George laughed at the strange name, “I’m George and this is Dream.”

  
“Interesting accent,” Punz grinned at George before he turned to grab a bottle out of his bag and hand it towards George. Punz noted that Dream’s eyes were following his every move behind the mask and couldn’t help but feel amused. How protective, “This is a type of solution that’ll get rid of those blood stains no sweat!”

  
“Oh wow,” George said in surprise as he grabbed the bottle. He felt a tad bit uncertain of that though, “Thanks...”

  
“No problem. I just remember seeing this dude with his blood-stained clothes last night. He just about gave everyone a heart attack,” Punz laughed and Dream mouth quirked a bit in amusement, “So I was planning on giving that away to you guys anyways.”

  
“Well thanks,” Dream decided to speak up since he didn’t sense any malice from Punz.

  
“No problem! Let me know if you need anything else, like medicine, before you leave town,” Punz smirked before turning and walking off.

  
“He was nice,” George grinned as he looked at Dream. Dream just nodded before returning to fishing, sneaking glances at George when the smaller male wasn’t looking. George looked at the bottle Punz gave him and noticed the liquid was a blue-gray. He shrugged and uncorked it before pouring it over the stains on Dream’s hoodie. He decided to let the solution settle for a minute before putting it back in the river.

  
“How’s your side?” George spoke up as he glanced at Dream. He’d gotten strangely quiet. Dream stared over at him. It felt weird to see that smiley-mask on him without the hood of his hoodie there as well.

  
“Oh, it itches a lot but it feels better,” Dream shrugged as he glanced at his side, “That healing potion you gave me really helped.”

  
“And here you thought I was poisoning you or something,” George replied smugly and Dream rolled his eyes.

  
“Speaking of, how’s your arm and your head?” Dream questioned as he glanced at both injuries on George. 

  
“My head’s not hurting anymore. My arm’s almost fully healed too,” George grinned before he returned his attention to Dream’s hoodie, placing it in the river and resuming his scrubbing, “Sorry if what I’m doing startles the fish by the way.”

  
“It does but that’s fine,” Dream shrugged, watching George work, “I needed a break anyways. It gets so boring.”

  
“I bet,” George huffed a laugh and his cheeks tinged pink when Dream started staring at him again. He decided to ignore that and focus on the hoodie. To his surprise, the blood stains were slowly being scrubbed away. Just what was that solution?

  
A few minutes later George held up the soaked hoodie and miraculously all the blood stains were gone. He looked at Dream with an open-mouthed smile and then blushed when he noticed Dream already looking at him with a smirk.

  
“That’s awesome! I’ve never seen stains come out like that,” He said and George cast his eyes away, embarrassed, “Thanks George.”

  
“Well I still have to stitch the tear but you’re welcome,” He huffed with a small smile and Dream laughed. George set the soaked hoodie on the grass so that it could begin to air-dry before he attempted to stitch it up. It was kind of peaceful after that as George leaned back on his hands and enjoyed the sun rays while Dream actively continued to fish now that George was done washing his hoodie in the river.

  
George flinched when Dream yelped suddenly and he looked over to see Dream struggle with his fishing rod briefly before yanking it upwards, sending a huge cod flying in the air. George gasped in shock, “Whoa!”

  
“This is the biggest one yet,” Dream grinned as he unhooked it and set it in the basket, a pleased look on his face that sent warmth spreading in George’s stomach.

  
“Well at least we have enough for lunch and dinner,” George said after a moment, his voice sounding lower than normal. Dream glanced over at him.

  
“Yeah,” He agreed, smiling.

  
Nothing more was really said after that and after a few more minutes of enjoying the sun, George noticed Dream put away his fishing rod and sit next to him. He watched as Dream stretched out his long limbs and wondered why everything about Dream always seemed to distract him somehow.

  
Dream closed his eyes and lifted his chin slightly, to feel the sun as much as he could. George’s eyes traveled to the odd smiley-mask that was always present on the taller male’s face and figured now was a good a time as any to ask about it, “Dream…?”

  
“Yeah?”

  
“Why do you wear that mask all the time?” George asked quietly, sitting up straighter and bringing his knees to his chest. Dream went silent but his eyes were still closed. For a moment, George’s heart skipped a beat and feared that maybe he shouldn’t have asked.

  
Eventually though Dream answered, “It makes me comfortable…” George blinked at the unexpected answer. He didn’t really know how to respond to that and luckily he didn’t have to because Dream added in a quiet voice, “My little sister made this mask for me a long time ago.”

  
“Oh…” George trailed off, wrapping his arms around his knees, “I see…”

  
“My parents fought a lot at the time,” Dream continued hesitantly and George’s eyes widened as they traveled back to Dream. His eyes were still closed but he was frowning, “I didn’t realize but my sister did…that I was frowning a lot then. She made the mask as a joke, something to cheer me up. She said I could wear it and then I’d be smiling even when I couldn’t.”

  
“Dream…” George whispered, feeling the other male’s pain. It made his chest tighten painfully to think of how much Dream suffered.

  
“After the attack…I just decided to wear it at first so that no one could remember what I really looked like,” Dream went on seriously, “I didn’t want any of those pillagers to remember my face and realized I’d survived the attack but after awhile I just became uncomfortable taking it off.”

  
“I just thought you wore it to be mysterious,” George joked quietly, hoping to cheer Dream up. It maybe have worked a little because Dream laughed slightly.

  
He opened his eyes and looked at George’s face. George briefly wondered what his expression must have looked like and he wanted to know what Dream was thinking. He was surprised when Dream sat up slowly, still watching George, “Can I ask _you_ something now?”

  
“Sure,” George nodded, unable to look away.

  
“How did your parents die?” Dream asked hesitantly, still watching George’s face. George choked on a gasp and his eyes widened before he finally looked away from Dream to stare at the ground. His shoulders slumped. He'd never told this story to anyone before now...

  
“There’s a ravine close to my hometown and…” George trailed off, wincing. He didn’t realize Dream had scooted closer to him until he felt Dream’s upper arm briefly brush against his, “I was only eight-years old but I begged them to let me go mining with them in the ravine. They eventually agreed because they didn’t want to leave me alone. Even back then the villagers didn’t really like me and they were concerned.”

  
“That’s stupid!” Dream blurted out angrily and George jumped at the loudness of it. Dream frowned, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. What…what happened George?”

  
“They were crossing the bridge at the top of the ravine but I was stupid…I got scared by how deep the ravine was and didn’t trust the bridge,” George muttered, hating himself anew as he remembered, “They’d already crossed and Dad was gonna come back to help me but then a creeper came through the shade of the trees behind them.”

  
Dream sucked in a breath, momentarily distracting him, “George…”

  
“Dad ran back to help Mom beat it and they managed to push it back away from them,” George retailed, picturing it vividly in his mind, “I was a coward. I still didn’t cross that bridge. I didn’t help them. It blew up and it thankfully didn’t hurt them, however, it blew up close to the edge of the ravine and the area began collapsing. The ground collapsed right from under my parents and they…”

  
Dream’s hand landed on his forearm carefully and he looked over to see Dream watching him with an understanding sadness, “They fell in the ravine?”

  
George nodded, his eyes threatening to burn. Dream’s hand tightened on his arm, “I’m so sorry, George.”

  
“Yeah, me too,” George sighed, closing his eyes, “I’m so sorry you lost your family too. You also had your friend taken away from you. I know a little bit about how you feel.”

  
“I know,” Dream replied slowly and George opened his eyes to see Dream smiling at him. He managed a small smile back and curled his fingers in the hoodie he borrowed from Dream. Speaking of…

  
“I better see if I can fix that tear now,” George cleared his throat and Dream blinked, like he forgot all about that. He pulled away from George.

  
“Oh. Right,” He laughed lightly and George laughed with him. He turned and winced when he felt how cold and wet the hoodie still was. It wasn’t dripping anymore though so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

  
He reached for his bag and pulled out the thread he’d had beforehand and began to stitch the tear slowly, wanting it to be as good as possible. He was in the middle of working when his traitorous stomach let out an embarrassingly loud rumble. Dream’s eyes widened at him and he blushed heavily.

  
“Why don’t I go cook us up some fish I caught?” Dream grinned at George’s blush, “It’s not quite lunch yet but I’m kinda hungry too.”

  
“Okay, sounds great,” George replied without looking at Dream. He was almost halfway done stitching Dream’s hoodie and felt pretty proud with how it was turning out.

  
“Alright, be right back!” Dream said as he stood and jogged to pick up his basket of caught fish before he rushed off, probably back to their borrowed home or to someone who could cook the fish for them. George wasn’t sure.

  
He didn’t know how much time passed but he finally finished stitching the tear in Dream’s favorite hoodie. George turned it over in his hands, inspecting it for anymore tears and was thankful there weren’t anymore. He was pretty amazed at his job well done. He’d stitched it so carefully you almost couldn’t tell there had been a tear at all. He beamed.

  
Standing slowly and wincing when his legs ached, George grabbed his things and slowly made his way back into the other village. He was a bit nervous when he realized most of the villagers were out and about. He got thrown curious looks but other than that the villagers seemed content to go about their day. George felt distantly relieved and looked around.

  
Where was Dream? Was he back at their borrowed home still cooking? It felt like it’d been forever when he got done stitching but Dream hadn’t come back to get him so maybe not as much time passed as he thought. A hand grasped his shoulder and George froze. Was it odd that he could immediately tell it wasn’t Dream? He half turned to face the person grabbing him and sure enough it wasn’t Dream. It was an older, taller looking man with a scar across his face and an eyepatch on his left eye. He was frowning and _damn_ was he intimidating.

  
“Hey, you,” He began before pausing like he was considering what to say. He scowled, “You came with that stranger.”

  
George felt like a rock dropped in his stomach and he felt the moment he paled. He couldn’t help but think back to when he was getting attacked in his village and he bit his lip when his lips started to tremble despite himself. The man narrowed his eyes at George, obviously expecting an answer, but then a shadow fell across them and they both turned. George physically jolted and so did the man grasping his shoulder when Dream was suddenly just _there_ , like almost up against the male holding George’s shoulder. He was towering over the guy, “Yeah, he’s with me. Got a _problem_?”

  
Dream smirked then and it wasn’t his usual one. This one was dangerous and still attractive somehow and it made George shiver. The other male, however, let go of George immediately, his face as white as chalk, and he stammered before basically racing out of the area. George didn’t blame him. Dream leaned away and looked at him then, the malice completely gone from his face and posture, “You’re such a magnet for trouble, Georgie~!”

  
“What?! N-No I'm not!” George denied, blushing at the strange nickname, “He was only asking me a question Dream…”

  
“He could have went about it differently,” Dream frowned in the direction the man left before turning to George with a softer expression, “Let’s go…the fish finished cooking and I was coming to get you.”

“Alright but first...here,” George smiled as he extended the hoodie towards Dream, “It’s still a little wet but it’s almost good as new!”

  
Dream took the hoodie and examined it before a true smile graced his face. It stole George’s breath away for a moment, “Thank you, George.”

  
“No problem,” George said shyly, looking at the ground, “Let’s go eat before we leave.”

* * *

After they finished eating, George managed to redress the bandage around Dream’s waist after making sure the infection was truly gone. The whole process was extremely awkward for George who found it hard not to stare at Dream’s exposed and well-toned body. It made him want to gulp. It didn’t help that Dream was staring at him the entire time. He just wasn't used to being so close to anyone.

  
Thankfully Dream didn’t tease him though and they were able to pack their things after he was done before leaving and saddling on their horse. George was slowly starting to get used to being forced to be close to Dream as they rode forward. It didn’t feel as awkward as before but every now again George’s arm would come into contact with one of Dream’s or he’d accidentally lean to far back and feel Dream’s chest. If any of this bothered Dream then he didn’t show it. 

  
“We should be getting close,” George spoke up, his eyes scanning the map that Dream had let him carry. George looked up and around. They’d entered a taiga biome about six minutes ago and he couldn’t help but marvel at how tall the trees were.

  
“I agree,” Dream hummed as he glanced over George’s shoulder at the map, “Its going to get dark soon. I think we should make it there before it gets too dark though.”

  
“Hopefully,” George sighed, feeling a strange anxiety in his chest. He wasn’t used to having to deal with mobs and the thought they could get surrounded at night if they weren’t careful honestly frightened him.

  
They rode on and for the next hour they chatted about random things, mostly about things they’d never seen before and then while George was in the middle of talking about the berry bushes they’d passed, Dream saw it. A huge taiga village sticking out on top of a mountain and various hills, “Oh my God!”

  
“What?” George asked, whirling his head to fix Dream with a confused stare.

“George, look!” Dream pointed upwards, “Its _there_! We made it!”

He watched George turn to look where he was pointing and a flattering beam crossed his face. Why was George so cute? “Yes! Awesome! Let’s _go_!!”

  
“This is perfect, the sun is just starting to go down!” Dream grinned, looking away from George’s face. He urged the horse to go faster up the trail but once they got closer to the entrance of the village he slowed down. Dream saw some stables to the right of the entrance and immediately urged the horse there. Once inside both he and George hopped off and Dream tied the horse down again. He turned and saw George waiting for him. He smiled.

  
“Do you know who were looking for here?” George asked slowly as they exited the stables and looked around. Once again, villagers close by were staring at them warily and curiously. Dream was thankful that his now dried hoodie showed no blood.

  
“I don’t know his name. I just know its a male and he’s a traveler. I was also told he was sort of a librarian?” Dream trailed off, unsure if he remembered that correctly. George gave him a look but then looked around.

  
“Guess we can start asking around about traveling librarians,” George teased and Dream rolled his eyes. They walked further into the village side by side and Dream honestly wasn’t sure who to talk to first. Everyone they passed watched them warily, curiously, or in some case fearfully. His mask wasn’t _that_ unsettling was it?

  
Before he could get too deep in his thoughts George left his side for a moment and approached someone to their left hesitantly, “Um, hi! I’m George and this is my friend, Dream.”

  
Dream felt fond warmth spread through his chest. _Friend_. He was George’s friend. He had to bite back a silly grin as the woman he was talking to roamed her eyes over George and then Dream himself, “Hi…I’m Alyssa…”

  
“Nice to meet you,” George smiled, somewhat relieved, “Sorry to bother you. We’re looking for someone that might be a librarian…he might not be native to this village.”

  
The girl, Alyssa’s, eyes crinkled in confusion for a second before her eyes widened. She smiled slightly, in a polite way, “Ah, you must be talking about Bad.”

  
“Bad?” Both he and George parroted, confused by the name. Alyssa giggled at their simultaneous reaction.

  
“Yes. Bad isn’t from around _here_ but he’s lived here for about a year now,” She explained before her voice got quieter, “He lives up on that hill alone.”

  
Dream glanced to where she was looking and saw that there was a hill behind two large houses. On top of the hill was a smaller secluded home. He turned back, “Thanks.”

  
“No problem,” She grinned as she looked at the two of them again, “Bye now.”

  
“Bye, thanks again,” George smiled and waved as Alyssa walked away, “That was easier than I thought.”

  
“Good thing he’s still here,” Dream nodded in agreement, “I wasn’t sure if he’d have left or not.”

  
“Well let’s go meet this Bad guy,” George joked and Dream chuckled despite himself. They ignored the looks they got as they walked past numerous houses and took the right path to go up the small hill.

  
The house was small and made of spruce logs and cobblestone. There was a single window to the right and light was spilling through but there was no one in sight as far as Dream could tell. Dream tapped on the door lightly as George fidgeted behind him. The sun was going down so Dream knew George was probably nervous about mobs showing up.

  
The door opened suddenly, startling both Dream and George. The man standing there was taller than George but shorter than Dream. He had brownish red messy hair and leafy green eyes, “What the….who are you two?”

  
“My name is Dream and this is George,” Dream introduced, eyeing the male warily, “Your name is Bad, right?”

  
“How’d you know that?” He asked, raising an eyebrow after glancing at both of them cautiously.

  
“Alyssa told us your name,” George butt in with a smile from around Dream's arm, “We’re looking for you cause…um…” 

  
“I’ve been looking around for the pillagers that have crescent shaped tattoos,” Dream explained briefly, “I heard that you were too.”

  
And just like that, Bad’s eyes slowly widened as he looked at Dream, “Oh my…wait, you…come in!”

  
He stammered and stumbled inside, clearly surprised. Dream followed him in cautiously, still not sure what to make of this guy. George followed behind him but didn’t seem as wary as Dream was. He looked around in awe. Dream noted with growing affection that George didn’t leave his side though.

  
The place was even smaller inside but there was a kitchen area with a furnace and smoker, a table, and off to the right side there were bookshelves filled with books. The man called Bad whirled around to face them with a look of strangled hope, “So…so you know about those pillagers? The ones with the crescent-shaped tattoos?!”

  
“Yes, I know of them,” Dream nodded before his eyes widened when Bad beamed excitedly.

  
“You’re the _only_ other person I’ve met that knows who I’ve been talking about,” He boomed as he bounced in place on his toes. That was kinda cute. George smiled at him.

  
“How do you know about them?” Dream questioned, tilting his head as he studied Bad. Something about the guy was completely harmless but one can't be so sure.

  
“They once attacked my home village,” Bad paused, looking down solemnly, “Some people were taken…including my boyfriend...”

  
Dream’s eyes widened and he jumped when George shouted, “ _Boyfriend?!_ ” 

  
Bad and Dream both looked at George in surprise for such a reaction and the smaller boy blushed, staring at the ground like that was a concept he never heard acknowledged in real life before. Dream chuckled briefly before placing a hand on George’s head. Bad canted his head as he watched the two, “Yes…my boyfriend Skeppy was taken. He made sure I was hidden when our village was attacked. He said he’d come back for me once he found a safe place but he never came back.”

  
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Dream frowned and let his hand drop from George’s head. There were more people being taken away by these pillagers? So it wasn’t just his village that it happened at? Bad frowned sadly at the ground, “My village was also attacked by those pillagers. The ones with crescent-shaped tattoos.”

  
Bad’s face jerked up and he looked absolutely stunned, “What?!”

  
“They also took people,” Dream added before he felt his shoulders slump, “They took my best friend, Sapnap.”

  
“Oh my goodness,” Bad fretted as he fidgeted, “I’m sorry…that’s terrible! Are you and George from the same village then?”

  
Dream saw George tense, an anxious expression coming onto his face. Bad noticed it and blinked before looking guilty, “I’m sorry…”

  
“He’s not from the same village,” Dream explained as he watched George, “His village wasn’t attacked...”

  
“Oh,” Bad trailed off as he looked away from George to Dream. He changed the subject, “I’ve been trying the past year to find out where those pillagers could be...”

  
“So you don’t know either…” Dream sighed, crestfallen. He had so been hoping that when he met this guy, he’d have _some_ sort of lead to go by. Bad looked briefly upset too.

  
“Well I think I’ve figured out one thing though,” Bad admitted hesitantly. Both George and Dream looked at him with wide eyes.

  
“What’s that?” George asked, daring himself to be hopeful.

  
“I think I found someone who knows about the crescent-shaped tattoo,” Bad explained as he looked serious, “If he knows about _that_ then he might know about the pillagers who wear that tattoo. He might know what it means and why they take people.”

  
“Do you know who he is?” Dream demanded, his fingers already twitching to get into action. His heart began hammering, so there was some sort of lead after all. Dream felt so relieved he almost felt lightheaded.

  
“His name is Techno,” Bad answered with a small smile, “We’ve been exchanging letters for months and he’s finally agreed to meet me. He wants to meet me halfway by the human-shaped boulder thats in the taiga forest an hour from here.”

  
“Never heard of a human-shaped boulder before,” George commented, tilting his head in a cute way.

  
“I’ve heard of it but never _seen_ it,” Bad shrugged before his eyes lit up for some reason, “It’s weird that you guys found me now because I was due to leave first thing in the morning. Do you want to travel with me? You guys don't seem like bad people at all.”

  
“If you don’t mind traveling with us,” Dream nodded, his heart finally calming down from his earlier excitement, “I’m so glad we have something to go on after all.”

  
Bad smiled, “It’s not much. It might not even tell us _anything_ but I knew I had to learn more and at least try.”

  
“To be honest…I’m glad I met you two,” Bad added as he looked embarrassed, “I want to find Skeppy…but I can’t do this all on my own.”

  
Dream felt a funny jolt in his chest as he remembered George’s words when he agreed to come with him. He glanced at George. George was already looking at him, smiling like he knew what he was thinking of.

  
“We can all help each other!” George said cheerfully as he looked over at Bad, who brightened considerably.

  
“Yeah!” Bad cheered, throwing his hands up. His green eyes sparkled with excitement, “I need to finish packing my things for tomorrow then! Oh…”

  
“What is it?” Dream asked curiously when Bad blinked like he remembered something.

  
“You’re welcome to sleep here tonight but I don’t have any other beds for you guys,” Bad told them as he looked sheepish, “Sorry.”

  
“It’s okay. We have bedrolls,” George grinned as he patted his pack and Bad looked relieved.

  
“Oh good,” He said, smiling politely, “You can set them up upstairs in my bedroom.”

  
“Thanks Bad…” George replied with a genuine smile. 

  
“Hey…can I ask about your name?” Dream pipped up and Bad rose an eyebrow at him, “No offense but who calls themselves _‘Bad’_?”

  
“Oh…that’s just a nickname, Badboyhalo,” Bad snickered as he seemed to remember something, “I prefer to be called Bad.”

  
“I see,” Dream smirked and George rolled his eyes at how silly both their names sounded. What’s wrong with just calling yourself the name you were given?

  
After a minute passed Bad began pacing around the room, “Make yourselves at home you guys! I have tons of things to get together.”

  
“Okay…” George trailed off, but unsure what to do. Dream also felt awkward just doing whatever he wanted in the house of a guy they just met. Bad blinked when neither male moved. Bad's eyes softened.

  
“You guys look like you’ve been through a lot,” Bad said sympathetically from where he stood bending over his desk by the bookshelves, “I have a working bathroom with a shower if you want to get cleaned up and more comfortable.”

  
George felt excitement building when heard that Bad had shower. Of course he had one in his _own_ house but it’d already felt like it’d been too long since he’d been in a shower. He turned to Dream when Dream made a funny sound. Dream’s eyes were wide behind his mask and his mouth open in shock, “A…a shower? Like a _real_ one?”

  
Instant empathy was pooling inside George when he realized that Dream didn’t really stay in villages. Villagers seemed to be too wary and scared of him. Not all village houses had working showers anyway, only the well-off ones did. It was apparent that Dream probably had to clean himself in random pools of water. The thought made him sad.

  
It appeared to make Bad sad too because he nodded, pursing his lips, “Yeah. It’s heated water too.”

Dream brightened and George felt a small smile bloom on his face, “You should go first, Dream. I’ll take one after you!”

  
“What…really?” Dream gasped as he turned to George and then when he realized how he was acting, Dream actually flushed a bit, “Uh…sure, I’ll go first.”

  
“Its upstairs,” Bad smiled gently, “There’s a small room off to the side.”

  
“Thanks,” Dream grinned, the look of excitement returning. He took off in the direction of the stairs just behind the kitchen and George silently followed him. He needed to set up their bedrolls anyway.

  
The bedroom was small and there was a adjoining room that was just as small. There was a single white bed and a double chest on both sides of it. It was rather simple but George didn’t mind. Dream set his things in the corner by the bathroom and started rummaging through his bag while George began unrolling the leather bed rolls.

  
“I’ll be right back,” Dream spoke up and George looked over at him. Dream seemed so happy for just a shower. George bit back a frown and instead smiled, nodding his head. Dream vanished in the bathroom and George giggled when he heard the water turn on immediately.

  
“George?”

  
George whirled around to look behind him. Bad was coming into the room with a curious expression on his face. He had a large backpack over his shoulder, “I hope I don’t sound insensitive but I was just wondering…do you need some spare clothes?”

  
“Oh,” George blinked before blushing with the realization that he was still wearing _Dream’s_ other hoodie. He probably smelled from not being able to bathe in awhile too, “A-Actually yeah…”

  
“No problem,” Bad brightened and he went towards one of the double chests by the bed, rummaging for a second before returning with a pile of clothes, “I actually don’t wear these…its silly but I don’t really like wearing clothes other than black or red.”

  
“Really?” George asked, slightly amused as Bad sat with him on the floor and dropped the clothes in front of him. Bad nodded, grinning.

  
“I think these would look better on you,” Bad commented as he gestured to the clothes. George blinked over at him before grabbing the blue fabric he saw, “I noticed you and Dream seem to like hoodies….right?”

  
“Y-Yeah,” George nodded, feeling somewhat embarrassed for some reason. He recognized the blue fabric as a blue hoodie. He turned it over in his hands and noted a strange brownish and white box logo on the front, “Is that red?”

  
“Uh…yeah it’s red,” Bad answered him, sounding confused.

  
“I thought so,” George laughed as Bad tilted his head at him, “I’m colorblind and can’t really see red or green colors.”

  
“Oh! I’m sorry,” Bad apologized like he’d insulted George. How kind-hearted _was_ this guy? George smiled, amused again.

  
“There’s nothing to be sorry for. I just wanted to make sure this was actually red,” George grinned and once Bad saw he wasn’t insulted he smiled brightly. George glanced at the hoodie. It was smaller than Dream’s hoodie so it might actually fit him instead of dwarfing him like Dream’s hoodie did. He found that he was falling in love with the sky blue color of the hoodie and the simple design. He was never one for extravagant things.

  
“Thanks Bad!” George beamed as he hugged the hoodie to himself, “I actually really like this!”

  
“Well I’m glad,” Bad chuckled and he stood slowly, “I’m gonna step out for a few things, okay?”

  
“Alright,” George nodded and Bad left the room. George glanced at the other clothes and pawed through them. He saw some faded blue jeans and smiled. That’d be perfect. There weren’t any rips in them either!

  
He left the other clothes that he didn’t pick on Bad’s bed, not wanting to assume where he liked to put his things. George also didn’t want to seem like he was going through Bad’s things. After he did that he resumed straightening and fixing his and Dream’s bed rolls.

  
George was so distracted during this that he didn’t notice Dream stepping out of the bathroom and come closer to him. He jumped when Dream spoke up, “I’m done, George.”

  
He quickly glanced over to see Dream still wearing his favorite lime green hoodie, or that’s what George assumed was the color. It was so hard to tell. Dream was also still wearing that smiley-faced mask and black jeans. He felt briefly disappointed for some reason when he saw the mask. George assumed Dream would have it off for a moment at least.

  
“You okay?” Dream asked as he tilted his head and George’s eyes widened when he realized he was staring Dream down. George felt his face explode with color and Dream’s own eyes widened before he laughed that wheezing laugh, “What the hell, George?”

  
“It-It’s nothing!” George stammered, feeling ready to sink in the floor. He hurriedly gathered his new clothes and rushed into the bathroom to the sound of Dream still wheezing. He closed the door and leaned against it for a moment, taking a breath.

  
Instead of thinking about his reaction to Dream, George let his eyes wander the small bathroom. It was small enough that only one person could fit inside it but that was fine. There was a toilet off to the side and in the back of the small room was the shower, shielded by dark-tinted glass doors. George set his clothes aside and hoped Dream left him enough hot water.

* * *

Dream hummed to himself, pleased, as he sat crisscross on his bedroll. He was double-checking his belongings and attempting to organize them. He was pretty sure George was staring him down earlier. The thought made him feel warm. George blushed harder than he’d ever seen so far and that was so amusing. The blush had contrasted prettily against George’s pale creamy skin.

  
Dream blinked, freezing as he considered his train of thought. That’s not the way one would normally think of a friend, right? Dream certainly never thought about Sapnap blushing and all that crap. Dream looked down at his hands. He liked seeing George blush, he liked making him blush.

  
“Well, thats new,” Dream muttered out loud in surprise. Before he could think about it more he heard the water in the bathroom cut off and he scrambled to rummage through his bag to appear busy so that way George didn’t notice the somewhat stupefied expression on his face. Not that he could see much behind his mask anyway.

  
“I never thought I’d miss hot water so much,” George laughed and Dream’s mouth twitched into a smile. George’s laugh sometimes sounded more like a gasp and it was pretty amusing. Dream glanced up at George and his breath caught in his throat.

  
George was wearing a sky blue hoodie that actually framed him just right with a red and white boxed logo on the front. The faded jeans complimented both the hoodie and his pale skin just right. George’s dark brown hair was always sort of messy, sticking up near his ears in a really cute way. Dream glanced up into George’s warm chocolate brown eyes and realized he thought George was really cute. Like _really_ really cute.

  
“Dream?” George tilted his head, raising an eyebrow in confusion and Dream realized not only was he staring but he never said anything back to George’s comment. 

  
“You think _you_ missed hot water,” Dream laughed softly, “I haven’t had a hot shower in _years!_ ”

  
“Ew,” George joked, his nose wrinkling in a cute way. Dream’s heart skipped a beat but he rolled his eyes playfully.

  
“I’ve kept myself clean just fine though,” Dream retorted, shrugging.

  
“I don’t see _how_ ,” George teased as he sat on his bedroll beside Dream. Dream chose not to tease back mainly because he was now curious.

  
“Where’d you get that hoodie?” He questioned, staring at the way the hoodie hugged George’s slim waist. 

  
“Oh, Bad gave me some clothes he doesn’t wear,” George grinned as he looked down at the hoodie himself, “I really like it. I’ve never really been one to care much about what I wore but this is amazing.”

  
“It looks great on you,” Dream smirked and was pleased when George blushed pink, his eyes widening.

  
“Really…?” George asked shyly and Dream nodded, almost a little too quickly. George smiled, “Thanks!”

  
“Sure,” Dream grinned. It went silent for a minute as they both just sat there, lost in their own thoughts.

  
“Hey…what do you think about Bad?” George wondered as he glanced at Dream.

  
“Bad seems pretty kind actually. I don't feel any dangerous vibes from him,” Dream answered as he looked back at George thoughtfully, “He might just be reliable. He’s also kinda innocent like you.”

  
“Innocent?” George’s brow furrowed and Dream chuckled.

  
“Pure-hearted. Hardly a mean bone in their body,” Dream clarified and was rewarded another light pink blush from George.

  
“Maybe yes for Bad but you don’t know me that well Dream,” George denied as he puffed out his lips in a pout.

  
“Not yet,” Dream blurted, sounding much more flirty than he meant to. George looked over at him with an eyebrow raised and Dream chuckled, almost nervously, “I can still tell. You’re not mean, George.”

  
George grinned, “Well, it depends on the person I guess.”

  
They heard a noise downstairs and Dream tensed for a split second before realizing it was just Bad. He didn’t know the other male even _left_. Bad came up the steps and smiled at them cheerfully, “Hi guys!”

  
“Hey,” George chuckled at the arm-full of stuff Bad was carrying. Bad sat down close to them, setting down his pack and putting everything in his arms on the floor. George's eyes lit up and he gasped, “Oh, you have a sword!”

  
Bad jumped at George’s gasp before nodding as he held it up for them to see, “It’s nothing fancy. Just an iron sword for self defense.”

  
“I wish I had one,” George sighed in disappointment. Dream blinked over at him while Bad smiled gently.

  
“I can pick you up one before we leave tomorrow,” Bad claimed as both Dream and George looked at him in surprise, “The blacksmith already closed for the night but he wouldn’t mind giving me just one more tomorrow morning.”

  
“Really?” George gasped again, feeling delighted. Bad watched how Dream stared at George then and rose an eyebrow.

  
“Yeah, for sure,” Bad answered as he tore his eyes away from Dream to smile at George. George’s whole face brightened.

  
“Awesome! I’ve never had anything other than stone tools before!” George exclaimed as he closed his eyes, feeling giddy. Dream felt an odd pang at that.

  
“I also have a bow and some arrows,” Bad added as he glanced down, sorting all his things, “I prefer to use those because I’m not that great at close-combat. I prefer not fighting if there's any way around it anyway.”

  
Dream hummed in interest, not surprised given Bad's character so far, and then turned to George. He remembered that George said he knew how to use a sword but how well was that?

  
“George, do you have any fighting experience?” Dream asked as he studied the smaller male. George opened his eyes in surprise before looking down, somewhat embarrassed.

  
“I’ve killed a few zombies and a couple of skeletons before…but not in groups,” George admitted, “I’m not great with a sword or anything because I didn’t have much cause to use it before.”

  
Dream smiled slightly, “I see. I can teach you some things I know as we travel, if you want.”

  
“Really?!” George asked excitedly and Dream nodded, glad his mask could hide his blush, “Thanks Dream!”

  
“No problem,” Dream grinned before he noticed Bad staring at them with an expression he couldn’t make out, “What…?”

  
“Huh? Oh, _sorry_!” Bad blushed when he realized he’d been watching them too closely, “I was just spacing out.”

  
George and Dream both chuckled as Bad hurriedly started rummaging through his stuff again. Dream noticed something in the male’s pile of supplies, “Is that stained glass?”

  
“What?” Bad’s head came up, his expression confused before he looked back down to see the large pieces black stained glass he had, “Oh, yeah it is. I wasn’t planning to do anything with it and I wasn't going to take it with me. Its just some more junk I have.”

  
“Can I have it then?” Dream asked, staring at the dark black-stained glass. An idea was forming in his head as he stared at it.

  
“What do you want black glass for?” George asked, looking just as lost as Bad. Dream chuckled.

  
“That’s a secret,” He grinned and George just cocked an eyebrow before shrugging. Bad blinked when Dream looked over at him expectantly.

  
“Oh, well if you really want it then sure,” Bad laughed, handing over the large pieces of glass to Dream. Dream immediately packed it away in his pack for later use.

  
The three of them continued talking as they settled down and Bad finished packing. They learned a little more about Bad, like the fact that he was actually older than them at twenty-five years old, and he had an odd mannerism of saying _muffin_ instead of curse words. Bad claimed to hate curse words.

  
“That’s kinda weird, Bad,” George giggled after Dream had repeatedly said ‘shit’ just to tease Bad. Dream found that was almost as fun as making George blush.

  
“No, its _not_!” Bad cried as his mouth formed a pout, “I never expected you two to have such foul mouths!”

  
George and Dream burst out laughing, deciding that they really liked Badboyhalo. Bad felt his mouth wobble, he couldn’t even pretend to stay mad at these two muffin-heads. As his laughter died down, Dream noted how dark it was outside, “We should probably get some sleep now if we want to be as productive as possible tomorrow.”

  
Bad nodded while George yawned, “Yeah, goodnight guys!”

  
“Goodnight Dream, goodnight Bad,” George replied tiredly as he shifted to lay down in his bedroll. Dream did the same as Bad stood up and jumped into his bed. Dream looked at George one last time and smiled warmly before closing his eyes and letting sleep take hold of him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope you all are doing okay! I'm so happy with all your comments! They urge me to write as much as I can!
> 
> I hope to update at least once a week! I might be getting busy soon though...anyways have fun reading!

"So...how long have you guys known each other?" Bad asked as he urged his own horse to keep up with Dream's. He kept glancing at the two, studying the way they interacted with each other.

  
"Huh?" Dream narrowed his eyes over at Bad, confused for a split second. George also looked at Bad in confusion. It'd been silent for several minutes before anyone spoke so the sudden question surprised them, "Oh...well we've known each other for a few days..."

  
"What?!" Bad squawked, his eyes widening. Dream rose an eyebrow at him and George jumped from Bad's reaction, "You guys act like you've been friends for _years_!"

  
Dream laughed, slightly wheezing, "I dunno I guess we just get along well."

  
"It's weird but true," George agreed, smiling slightly. Bad blinked at them, staring hard. George looked over at Bad, meeting his green eyes, "Besides, we just met _you_ last night but I feel totally comfortable with you!"

  
"H-huh...?" Bad blushed out of embarrassment before he realized he felt the same about the two males. Dream did feel kinda dangerous but Bad didn't feel like Dream would hurt him. He felt comfortable around both Dream and George, "I feel the same about you guys!"

  
"Even me?" Dream smirked, quirking a brow in surprise. Bad nodded, "I don't hear that very often."

  
He was laughing slightly as he said it but both George and Bad frowned anyways. George smiled, "I don't either..."

  
Dream's hands tightened on the horse's reigns at the small reminder that George hardly experienced kindness before he met Dream. Scowling hard, Dream tried to keep from grinding his teeth together.

  
"Hey Bad?" George questioned hesitantly, not noticing Dream's reaction to what he said earlier. Bad glanced over at him questioningly, "Can...can I ask you something?"

  
"Sure George," Bad nodded.

  
"What's your boyfriend, Skeppy, like?" George asked and Bad felt a pang in his chest at the mention of his lover, "I'm just curious so you don't have to tell me if you don't want to..."

  
"I..." Bad trailed off, biting his lip. It's not like he didn't like talking about Skeppy, it just hurt to do so. He missed him so much, "Well he likes to try and scare or trick me sometimes. He's a real prankster but he also knows when to be serious with me, like he knows the limits to teasing me. He's-"

  
George and even Dream were watching him as he talked, both were pretty curious after all. Dream was so distracted by Bad that he didn't see the arrow shooting towards them until it was too late. An arrow soared through the air and hit Dream's horse near it's neck, nearly scrapping George's leg in the process. The horse cried out as all three males gasped almost in unison. Dream's hand was already going for his sword when the horse bucked wildly, sending an unstable George and Dream to the ground.

  
Dream gasped and narrowly rolled out of the way of the horse's back hooves stomping down into the ground. Bad was already hopping off his horse and pulling out his bow, aiming an arrow into the woods. George quickly jumped to his feet, nearly a beat behind Dream as they glanced into the woods where Bad was aiming. A pearl of white flashed in the shadows under the trees for a moment and George choked on his breath.

  
"Skeleton..." He trailed off as he pulled out the iron sword Bad had gotten him from the blacksmith that morning. Bad was already unleashing arrows towards the skeleton as Dream rushed forward, skillfully maneuvering so he wasn't in Bad's way. Suddenly George realized how inexperienced he was compared to the other two males. He glanced at Bad, stunned to see a cold scowl on the normally cheerful male's face as he docked another arrow.

  
"George!" Dream warned and George flinched out of his daze, barely ducking out of the way of an arrow in time. In the distraction, Bad shot an arrow right into one of the skeleton's ribs. It didn't flinch or pause in it's movements in any way. Then it aimed it's arrow at Bad instead of Dream or George.

  
Dream was one step ahead and as he reached within range, he decapitated the skeleton with a single stroke of his sword before it could fire the arrow. The skeleton fell lifelessly on the ground and Dream immediately looked around to make sure there were no more mobs hidden within the shadows.

  
"Figures there'd be a skeleton hiding in the safety of shadows," Bad scoffed and George looked at him, still shocked, "Too bad we're in the woods or we could have just pushed it out into sunlight so it could burn."

  
"Y-Yeah..." George stammered before glancing over his shoulder. His eyes widened further, "Oh _no_!"

  
"What is it?!" Dream zoomed over towards him and Bad at George's cry, surprising them both with his speed. George met Dream's gaze.

  
"T-The horses ran off during the fight," George told him as he looked around wildly, "I was so shocked I didn't even _notice_ it!"

  
Dream's eyes widened as he looked around as well, noticing Bad and his own horse were long gone, having raced away out of fright without anything to tie them down. Bad groaned and Dream cursed loudly. Bad sent him a scolding look, "Language Dream!"

  
"This is fucking... _ugh_!" Dream groaned, a hand on his mask. Bad fumed that Dream ignored him and George felt a cold pang of guilt.

  
"Sorry Dream...I got so distracted and surprised," George sighed as his shoulders slumped heavily. Bad and Dream looked at him in surprise, "You both were actually fighting well and I was just there. If I were paying attention I could have stopped the horses from running."

  
Dream frowned at the narrowed look of self-hatred on George's face. He stepped closer to George and placed a hand on his shoulder before speaking to him soothingly, "It's not your fault, George. The skeleton came out of nowhere and you aren't used to this. It's normal to get shocked."

  
"Dream's right!" Bad grinned as he walked towards them. George looked at them hesitantly, "You don't just get good or used to this in one day! You reacted pretty well George."

  
"Still...I could have been more useful," George frowned, before looking determined at the two other males, "I'll do better next time!"

  
"Yeah you will," Dream smiled at him warmly and George felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. Dream dropped his hand from George's shoulder and turned to Bad, "Good thing we didn't actually have our things strapped to the horses."

  
"True. We all have our packs on us," Bad hummed before looking troubled, "But now we'll be a bit late in meeting Techno. I hope he doesn't bail."

  
"He better not," Dream scowled, crossing his arms. It was quiet for a moment before he sighed, "Well, looks like we're going on foot. Lead the way, Bad."

  
"Sure, we better hurry," Bad smiled as he immediately walked away. George noted that Bad didn't put away his bow so he decided to keep his sword in his hand too. He blinked when he noticed Dream walking directly by his side. Things were peaceful and quiet for a while but all three males were still on edge, constantly peering around the trees for hidden mobs. Eventually George's legs began to ache with how long they'd been walking.

  
"So this Techno can be trusted, right Bad?" George asked, breaking the silence. Bad looked over at his shoulder, "Do you know much about him?"

  
"Well, I don't know a whole _lot_ about him," Bad confessed, looking sheepish and Dream frowned, "I only know he's the leader of his territory. It's supposedly one of the _biggest_ villages in the world, practically a whole town or city!"

  
"Really?" Dream gasped, his eyes widening behind his mask, "I've never seen something like that in all my years."

  
"Me either," Bad shrugged, "I've only _read_ about such places. Techno is very responsible from what I know and he's apparently a really fierce warrior. He's risen to the top with purely his own skills."

  
"He sounds like a king or something," George chuckled at the image in his head. Bad laughed and Dream cocked an eyebrow.

  
"He probably _is_ in his territory," Bad admitted as he glanced up at the sky in thought, "I only started to write to him because I was told to write to the leader of that town. To be honest, I was surprised he actually replied to me."

  
"I'm more surprised that such a person is meeting us by himself," Dream muttered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, "Are you _sure_ we can trust him?"

  
"Yes, I'm pretty sure," Bad smiled gently, "He keeps up his guard with me even in letters but Techno doesn't break agreements once he makes them."

  
"I trust you, Bad," George grinned when Bad blushed slightly at his comment, "I don't think this Techno guy will try anything bad. What do you think Dream?"

  
"I trust Bad too," Dream nodded, smiling at the way George asked him for his thoughts, "Even if Techno tries anything, I'll just stop him."

  
"You're so confident," Bad muttered, rolling his eyes at Dream, who chuckled. 

  
As they continued, they kept talking until they got to a large inclined hill. Climbing up it wasn't a challenge for the three males but Dream surprised them by grinning and shouting, "First one to the top wins!"

  
"Wha-?!" George cut his shout short when Dream started racing forward. He laughed despite himself and immediately pushed himself into a run. Bad gasped at the two.

  
"How _old_ are you!?" Bad shouted after them as he also took off running. His shout made George and Dream laugh loudly. At one point Dream almost tripped on a raised root which let George take the lead. George snickered loudly as he passed Dream. The taller male only wheezed slightly at what happened before quickly chasing after George. Just as George made it to the top, he felt Dream grab his sleeve to try and pull himself ahead of the smaller male. 

  
He gasped, "Dream, _stop_!" Dream wheezed again.

  
"No," He laughed as they both stopped for a split second, breathing hard. George scowled over at Dream as he was still grabbing onto his sleeve. George tried to shake him off.

  
"I won fair and square Dream," George grinned. Dream's grip tightened on his sleeve.

  
"We got here at the same time. It was a tie," Dream grinned in return and then laughed once when George squawked.

  
"What?! No you...you grabbed my sleeve! You were _behind_ me!" George protested as he scowled at the taller male.

  
"Nope, we got to the top at the same time Georgie~" Dream hummed as he smirked down at the smaller boy, "It's a tie!"

  
"You're actually a _liar_ , Dream," George sighed, closing his eyes and Dream chuckled. They both heard heavy breathing and turned to see Bad carefully climbing to the top to join them.

  
"You guys are insane," Bad pouted as he pulled himself up. He gave the two other boys a look, "Who won by the way?"

  
George groaned loudly when Dream laughed, "It was a tie!"

  
"No it wasn't!"

  
"I didn't know you were so competitive Georgie," Dream teased and for the first time since they met, George was actually getting annoyed with Dream.

  
" _I'm_ competitive?! You...you know what?" George growled as he tried to pull his sleeve away from Dream again to no avail. He walked a couple of steps away, "Let go Dream!"

  
"Ah, wait George-"

  
George didn't listen and when he took another step back, the ground suddenly felt muddy and he gasped when he slipped in the dirt, falling down the hill. Dream yelped and held onto George to try and pull him back. Before he realized what was happening, George felt arms wrap around his chest and suddenly he was sliding down the other side of the hill with a sharp gasp. When all movement stopped, he opened his eyes wondering when he even closed them. He was surprised that sliding down the hill hadn't hurt. Then he realized something warm was wrapped behind him. 

  
"Are you muffins okay?!" Bad yelled from the top of the hill and George's eyes widened when he looked to the side, meeting Dream's shocked gaze behind his mask. To his embarrassment, George found that Dream must have tried to help him but slipped with him. Dream's arms were wrapped around George's chest and George was pulled close to the other boy which means that Dream took the brunt of sliding down the hill.

  
"Dream!" George gasped, shuffling to move to face him better, "What the... are you okay?"

  
Dream suddenly threw back his head and laughed, practically wheezing, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine!"

  
George couldn't help but smile at his friend when he noticed how bright Dream's laughter was. His expression was also so happy. They heard Bad rushing down the hill and George turned his gaze to his other friend.

  
"You gave me a _heart_ attack!" Bad shouted, looking annoyed, "Dream, you're okay right? I saw you grab George but did you guys hit your head or anything?!"

  
Dream was still laughing which caused George to chuckle, "Sorry Bad. We're okay and we didn't hit our head. We're just muddy now."

  
Bad sighed in relief before raising an eyebrow with a smile, "You know, Dream, you laugh a _lot_."

  
"I'm finding that out too," George chuckled before realizing he was still in Dream's arms, pulled close. He blushed slightly, "He's also very touchy-feely."

  
Dream's laughter finally died down to chuckles as he looked at George with a smile, "You like it though."

  
"Who says?" George dead-panned despite feeling a jump in his chest from Dream's words. How did Dream manage to sound so confident all the time? "Can you let me go now?"

  
"Fine, fine," Dream chuckled again as Bad laughed at the two. Dream withdrew his hands, though his fingers accidentally brushed against George's sides and George gasped, unable to help himself. Dream rose an eyebrow, "Are you ticklish George?"

  
"N-No," George stammered and then paled when Dream smirked, "Dream, _no_. I swear to God I will burn your favorite hoodie!"

  
For some reason both Bad and Dream started laughing loudly. Bad bent over from his laughter while Dream laughed out, "You'd have to strip me while I sleep to get it but okay."

  
"I swear...you're so...ugh!" George growled in frustration as he slowly stood, shuffling to put some distance away from Dream when Dream also stood up. He frowned, "Let's go already!"

  
Dream laughed softly when George started walking off and immediately made to follow him. Bad followed as well, his laughter dying off as he grinned, "You two muffins sure are something else."

  
"I know," Dream snickered before throwing a friendly arm around Bad's neck, "You're quite a character too Bad."

  
"I'll take that as a compliment," Bad smiled as he continued teasingly, "George was right though, you are a very touchy-feely person. I'm the same to be honest so it doesn't bother me."

  
Dream shrugged and withdrew his arm from Bad, staring at the back of George's head. George looked over his shoulder at the two, surprised when he met Dream's eyes. He quickly whirled his head around. The taller male jogged to be at George's side and chuckled, "Sorry, George. You're not mad, are you? I won't tickle you."

  
George glanced at Dream, who smiled brightly at him. George sighed, feeling the annoyance dissipate, "I'm not mad. And you better not tickle me. Seriously. "

Dream chuckled deeply, "I won't."

  
"Hey I think we're getting close," Bad spoke up loudly as he joined Dream's other side, squinting ahead of them before pulling out Dream's map, "We'll probably be at the human-shaped boulder in another twenty or so minutes."

  
"Well that's good," George sighed in relief before noticing Dream tense slightly. He rose an eyebrow at the taller male, but Dream wasn't looking at him. He was looking around seriously, as if keeping watch for a threat. George realized that Dream was very wary of meeting this Techno guy. He noticed Dream's hands twitching a bit, like they were ready to pull Dream's sword out at any time. 

  
"Hey, don't worry Dream," George smiled soothingly, putting a hand on Dream's right arm. Dream blinked over at him in surprise, "You don't have to be so tense. Bad and I are with you."

  
Bad smiled brightly as if to affirm this fact and Dream smiled warmly, looking at George fondly as he nodded, "I know. I'm just being prepared."

  
Something about Dream's expression made his stomach flop again and George looked away to eye the ground, his cheeks heating up a bit. He tried not to smile when he felt Dream's gaze on him. After a few minutes of walking in silence, George looked up from the ground when Bad cleared his throat, "So...I've been wondering about something..."

  
"What's that Bad?" Dream asked as he peered at him. Bad hesitated.

  
"Well I was just wondering, and you don't have to tell me anything, but I was curious...where do you come from George?" Bad questioned almost shyly, looking over at the smaller male. George almost faltered in his next step and his eyes widened, "I know you're not from the same village as Dream and your village wasn't attacked like ours..."

  
"Yeah..." George whispered, ducking his head back down to stare at the ground. He didn't see how Dream's hands clenched into fists, "I'm from a village in the plains close to where you were at Bad."

  
Bad's eyes widened, "Oh really?" Then Bad frowned, biting his lip, "You...why did you leave?"

  
Memories flashed through George's mind and he clenched his teeth together. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he jumped when he felt a hand on his head. He glanced up to see Dream frowning at him before Dream looked over at Bad.

  
"The villagers attacked him because he helped me. I made him leave with me after that," Dream explained as Bad froze, his eyes going wide.

  
"They _attacked_ you?! What in the world?" Bad exclaimed as he looked briefly angry. George rubbed one of his arms with his hand, not knowing what to say. He barely nodded, still aware of Dream's hand on his head.

  
"It was a long time coming," George sighed bitterly and he must have imagined the suppressed growl he heard from Dream, "They _never_ liked me. Seeing me helping Dream was their excuse to be hostile. I guess I never noticed before how much they wanted me gone."

  
Dream dropped his hand from George's head before he did damage to the smaller male. His chest burned with anger as he remembered the villagers from George's village. The slight pain he heard in George's voice made him want to kill those villagers without a second thought. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

  
Bad felt himself pale, "I'm so sorry for bringing it back up, George...."

  
"It's okay Bad," George made those memories drift off as he smiled at the good-natured male at Dream's other side, "Its natural to be curious. Can I ask you something now?"

  
"Anything you want!" Bad nodded a little too quickly and George chuckled. Dream felt himself beginning to relax, his fingers almost shaking with how hard he'd clenched them into fists.

  
"How long have you known Skeppy?" George asked softly.

  
"We grew up together...so all our lives!" Bad laughed, surprised that he didn't feel the usual pang that came when he talked about his missing lover.

  
"That's so nice," George grinned, but felt a familiar pang of jealousy. Dream and Bad both had childhood friends they cared so much about. George had no one like that, "When did he become your boyfriend?"

  
Bad blinked before smiling affectionately, "We got together two years ago. We kind of danced around our feelings especially since a lot of people in our village didn't approve of how close we were."

  
"They didn't approve?" Dream rose an eyebrow, "Because you're both guys or...?"

  
"Yeah because we're both men," Bad frowned at the ground before he brightened slightly, "That didn't bother _us_ though! Our parents don't...well _didn't_ care that we loved each other..."

  
"I've never seen two men together," George spoke up shyly and blushed slightly when Bad and Dream looked at him, "Is it common?"

  
"I don't know...I _don't_ think so," Dream trailed off before smiling, "People from _my_ village were super accepting of it though. We had a two gay couples living there at the time."

  
"Oh..." George replied, wondering why his heart started fluttering. He suddenly felt very shy.

  
"Well I'm glad it was like that for you Dream," Bad giggled as he beamed, "We need more supportive people in the world!"

  
"For sure..." Dream muttered as he stuck his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. The wind was picking up slightly, making the temperature drop a little.

  
The three continued chatting contently for a few more minutes before they noticed a flat opening in the distance. Bad gasped, "That's it!"

  
Bad dashed off, surprising the other two, who immediately followed the other male. As they burst through the opening, the first thing they saw was a huge boulder. 

  
"What do you know..." George trailed off in wonder as they all looked around, "It _is_ human-shaped!"

  
The clearing was small, in a circle-like shape, surrounded by the tall taiga trees of the forest. The human-shaped boulder took up the center of the clearing. It was just barely shaped like a human with no obvious markers of gender.

  
"This is amazing!" Bad beamed, sharing a smile with George as they both studied the boulder with awe. 

  
Dream smiled at them both before glancing around. His face dropped immediately behind his mask when something shifted along the shadows of the trees. There was something _in_ the trees. Not wasting a moment, Dream rushed forward, grabbed Bad and George, and shoved all three of them to the ground. Bad and George gasped as they were thrust to the ground with Dream hovering over them protectively. He already had his sword out as he glared daggers into the shadows of the trees.

  
"Dream, what is it?" George whispered, feeling goosebumps rising on his skin from Dream's violent reaction.

  
"Is it Techno?" Bad also whispered, his eyes widening as he looked where Dream was staring. Dream didn't answer them, his eyes rooted to that one spot in the shadows.

  
It was silent for a moment too long before an unfamiliar voice called into the clearing, "You are quite skilled to notice my slight movement while I was hidden."

  
Dream tensed when the shadow jumped from the tree to land in view a few yards away from them. Bad and George's eyes widened as they, along with Dream, studied the man.

  
He had long bubble-gum pink hair that was loosely tied into a ponytail close to the tips. The startling thing about him was the thick golden crown on his head that was slightly encrusted with jewels and the pig-faced mask that was dark pink with white tusks on the sides that covered the man's eyes and nose; even more startling was the majestic red cape that settled on his shoulders.

  
"I wasn't expecting more than one person. Which one of you is Badboyhalo?" The man cocked an eyebrow, sounding naturally monotone. His expression was almost blank, "Or are you three random travelers?"

  
" _I'm_ Badboyhalo!" Bad boomed as he raised a hand from behind Dream. George was surprised that Dream still had his sword extended, "You are Technoblade, right?"

  
"Technoblade?" George parroted, completely thrown off by yet another strange name. Techno had been a weird enough name on its own. Dream also quirked a brow at the name but said nothing, his eyes never leaving the strange male.

  
"Ah, yes that's me. So you are Badboyhalo," Techno said as he studied Bad. Then his brown eyes settled on Dream, "You didn't tell me you were bringing others."

  
"Sorry about that," Bad laughed, completely relaxed for someone meeting a stranger for the first time in person. George gaped at him as Bad nudged himself around Dream. Dream tensed and frowned but let Bad maneuver around him to be in view. Bad gestured to Dream and George, "These guys are my friends. I asked them to travel with me because they have the same goals as me!"

  
Techno's eyes lit up in interest as he scanned Dream and George, "I see. And what are your names?"

  
"I'm George..." George trailed off as he slowly stood but remained behind Dream. George glanced at Dream when he remained silent, "That's Dream."

  
"Interesting," Techno hummed though his expression was still blank and how on _earth_ did he manage to make everything he say sound so monotone? George felt stupefied by the guy, "Where did you learn to fight?"

  
All three males were taken off guard by the random question and Dream realized that Techno was staring at him, "I taught myself...trail and error."

  
To Dream's surprise, part of Techno's mouth quirked in a small smile before it was gone, "I see. Much the same for me. You do not have to be so on guard with me."

  
"Sure..." Dream replied but he kept his sword out. He rested it against his shoulder instead of pointing it though. George wondered if that was comfortable.

  
"Actually Techno...Dream's in the same situation as me," Bad spoke up and Techno looked at him, "He's looking for the same pillagers as me. He had a friend stolen from him."

  
"I figured it might be like that," Techno nodded, not even looking surprised, "My condolences."

  
Dream didn't answer that and frowned, "Bad said that you know about the crescent-shaped tattoo...?"

  
"A little bit," Techno nodded as he crossed his arms, "It's a symbol meant to represent those who worship the Ender Dragon."

  
" _Excuse_ me?" George gasped, his mouth falling open. Dream's eyes widened and Bad also gasped, his eyes widening as well, "Isn't the Ender Dragon just a myth?"

  
"Could not tell you for sure," Techno shrugged his shoulders as he looked thoughtful, "No one's ever come back alive when they try to find it in the End yet the records in books and scrolls say the End and the Ender Dragon are real."

  
"Why would those pillagers use that tattoo?" Bad muttered as his brow furrowed, "Does that mean _they_ are worshippers of the Ender Dragon?"

  
"Possibly," Techno nodded and all three males tensed as he continued, "When you began writing me, Bad, I looked into those pillagers. They are not well known because everywhere they pillage they leave no one alive and survivors are taken. You and Dream must have been lucky."

  
Dream glared at Techno, "I wouldn't call _that_ lucky."

  
"I wouldn't either," Bad said softly, bowing his head. George frowned.

  
"If they _are_ Ender Dragon worshippers...then why take people?" George asked hesitantly, fear growing in his chest, "They aren't...like... _sacrificing_ them are they?"

  
Bad and Dream both paled, their eyes round with shock. Techno didn't react at all, his face still blank as he turned to George, "That... _might_ be possible since you don't hear about these pillagers from anyone...it must mean no one ever escapes them."

  
"No...n-no," Bad shook his head, feeling panic rushing forward. Techno let his blank expression slip for a second in sympathy.

  
"That might not be the case though," Techno soothed and all three male's whipped their heads up to stare at him, "Like I said...when you started sending me letters I started investigating. I did not find out much, however, I _have_ heard a troublesome rumor. I still have trusted aides looking into it. I am not sure if this has anything to do with those pillagers though."

  
"What rumor?" Dream asked, frowning.

  
"There's rumors floating around that there are people stuck in the nether," Techno answered and he looked doubtful for once, "I am unsure the level of truth behind these rumors. As I said, however, I have trustworthy people investigating."

  
"People stuck in the nether?" Bad gasped, paling, "The nether is the worst place in the world to be stuck at!"

  
"I agree," Dream nodded, his eyes narrowed, "It's been described as literal hell."

  
"Indeed," Techno agreed as he hummed, "There's something else about that crescent-shaped tattoo...but it's a story that's been changed a lot over time."

  
"What's the story?" George asked quietly, glancing between Bad and Dream.

  
"Legend says that those marked with the crescent-shaped tattoo, the worshippers of the Ender Dragon, have been trying for centuries to bring the Ender Dragon to the overworld."

  
" _What?!_ " Dream cried out, shocked. His voice rose a couple of octaves, "That's the _stupidest_ thing I've ever heard! No one even knows if the Ender Dragon is real! It's just a bunch of legends and stories!"

  
"Yeah and people die all the time trying to find out if it _is_ real," Bad added, scowling, "If it is real...then the legends would be true. If it's _real_...why would they want to bring it here?"

  
"According to legend, the worshippers believe the Ender Dragon was meant to rule the overworld," Techno sighed, shaking his head, "Those who worship the Ender Dragon are not sane."

  
"Obviously," George snorted, unable to believe what he was hearing. As if the Ender Dragon, _if_ real, would let anything or anyone live.

  
"So if that's what legend says about the crescent-shaped tattoo, does that mean these pillagers are worshippers who want to bring the Ender Dragon to the overworld?" Bad asked as he scratched his arm, "It still doesn't explain why they'd take people for something like that."

  
"I am unsure of that myself," Techno frowned.

  
"I find it hard to believe those savages are slaughtering and kidnapping people to try and bring an Ender Dragon to the overworld," Dream ground out, his hands curling into fists, "How do they expect to do such a thing even if it _is_ real?"

  
"That's the part that no one knows," Techno answered calmly, "I am afraid this is all I know about the subject."

  
"Thank you, Techno," Bad said quietly as he smiled weakly to the crowned individual, "Do you have any idea where this group of pillagers might be?"

  
"No, I am sorry," Techno frowned again, actually looking sympathetic, "I only knew legends, stories, and rumors revolving around the tattoo. I worry that it's just a coincidence that these pillagers wear it."

  
Dream frowned as well, feeling frustration surge forward so deep that it almost made his eyes burn. George noticed Dream's fists shaking and frowned worriedly. It was quiet for a moment, all three males wallowing in their emotions. Techno studied them, feeling momentarily bad, before his eyes lit up at a thought, "Have you gentlemen ever heard of eyes of ender and the ender portal?"

  
"It's a part of the legend you were talking about," Bad answered him, nodding with a troubled expression, "Most people have heard of it but no one's ever _seen_ an end portal. At least, no one's made it back alive to talk about it."

  
"True, no one knows if an end portal is real," George nodded, sighing afterwards, "Supposedly the end portal takes you to the End but you need 12 eyes of ender to activate it, which are near impossible to get."

  
"Right...but I just had a thought," Techno smirked as they all looked at him with an eyebrow raised, "There's supposedly a group trapped in the nether...if that rumor _is_ true then what if that group are the pillagers you are looking for?"

  
"What do you mean?" Dream asked, obviously confused, "If they were trapped in the nether then how are they kidnapping people in the overworld?"

  
"After Bad's village was attacked no survivors have come forward looking for them. You two are the only ones I know of. It's possible they went to the nether sometime after attacking Bad's village," Techno explained thoughtfully, "Or it's possible that they are a larger group than we know and part of their group is in the nether."

  
"Why would they be in the nether though?" Bad questioned, raising a brow.

  
"If they are indeed worshippers of the Ender Dragon and want it released in the overworld then they need ender pearls and blaze powder," Techno explained further as his eyes lit up, "There is a place in the nether that's been reportedly called the Warped Forest which, rumor has it, the Endermen love to roam."

  
"Really?" George blinked, his eyes widening, "So you think that the group in the nether are trying to get ender pearls and blaze powder to make eyes of ender for the supposed end portal? I haven't heard of people successfully pulling that off. The nether is a hard place to survive in and if you lose your portal for any reason you're as good as _gone_."

  
"True," Dream agreed, his eyes narrowed in thought, "Techno's on to something here I think."

  
"I believe if you want to find out more from here then you should travel to the nether and see if there are people trapped there as rumors say," Techno said as he placed his hands on his hips, "At this point it is your _best_ lead. If I happen to hear anything about those pillagers from my own investigation then I can send a note to you."

  
"You'd do that?!" Bad beamed and Techno actually chuckled, nodding his head.

  
"Going to the nether won't be easy," Dream trailed off, tensing as he glanced at George. George looked worried.

  
"It's easier when you are prepared," Techno smirked, "Take plenty of food and I suggest you each get a suit of iron armor at least. Bring gold with you too because there are mobs there that like that I believe. I have not been to the nether myself so I do not know for sure."

  
"I know some things about the nether from my books!" Bad grinned cheerfully as he patted his pack behind him, "It's worth checking out! What do you guys think?"

  
"If it'll lead us to finding out more about those pillagers then I'm going," Dream nodded as he grinned back at Bad, "We can take our time preparing for the trip."

  
They both looked at George and he was frowning, still worried, "I don't know...I'm not experienced enough for the nether..."

  
"Don't worry. I'll teach you a bunch of things," Dream smirked, purposefully sounding flirty. George's eyes widened as he looked at Dream before he rolled his eyes. 

  
"You're so _weird_ ," George muttered before sighing, "If we prepare enough then we might actually be okay. This group could be the pillagers you're looking for and if not...then at least we could help them. They might know something from having been in the nether."

  
"Yeah!" Bad cheered as he turned to Techno, "Seriously, thank you Techno!"

  
Techno smiled at Bad, "I am sorry I could not help more. However, if there comes a time that you need a place to go, my city is open to you three. I will mark it on the map for you."

  
"Thanks!" Bad and George beamed simultaneously as Bad handed over Dream's map to Techno while Dream rose an eyebrow incuriously.

  
"You barely know us...why would you give us that information? Aren't you, like, the _ruler_?"

  
"Yes, I was made the leader," Techno laughed as he crossed gazes with Dream. He smirked, "I am an _excellent_ judge of character. If I were not sure of you three then I would not have helped you. I am sure you know what I mean Dream."

  
Dream blinked, thrown off guard. George snickered at Dream as he playfully pushed his arm against his. Dream rolled his eyes but playfully pushed back. Bad looked over the map after Techno handed it back to him, "Thanks again Technoblade!"

  
"No problem Badboyhalo," Techno teased, still somehow monotone. His expression turned serious, "I must be getting back. I have people to look after...if I leave them alone too long there will be chaos upon my return. Especially from those kids..."

  
"Bye Techno!" Bad waved as George and Dream chuckled to themselves at the way Techno talked. Techno dipped his head at them politely before walking off into the shadows of the trees.

  
They watched him leave in silence. Dream turned to George and Bad, taking a deep breath, "I have a feeling we're gonna find something big in the nether..."

  
"I do too," Bad smiled, looking determined, "It won't be easy but I just feel like this is important!"

  
"We need to find a cave soon to get iron," George mused as his brown eyes glazed over in thought, "Techno's right about us needing iron armor. He also mentioned gold..."

  
"We'll look for a cave," Dream nodded, glancing at George, "It might take us awhile to get everything we need to be prepared. In the meantime, I can spar with you to teach you some things about sword fighting."

  
George looked at Dream, smiling slightly, "Sounds good."

  
"By the way," Bad cleared his throat and they both looked over to see he was leaning against the boulder, a thick black book his hand, "We're going to need things for the nether portal _itself_...one of which is obsidian. That'll be the hardest thing to get."

  
"Right..." Dream frowned and George scowled, "We'll need to make a diamond pickaxe, that'll mine the obsidian easier without ruining it. I already have flint and steel...according to the stories don't you need that to light the portal to the nether?"

  
"Yup," Bad grinned as he closed his book and stuffed it in his bag before throwing the bag back over his shoulder, "For now let's look for a good place to camp. We can go hunting and stock up on food then start fresh tomorrow!"

  
"Great," Dream smirked, feeling a rush of adrenaline and confidence. They had a lead, possibly a very _good_ one, and he just had a feeling he was getting close to finding his friend.

  
"We have a lot to do," George laughed softly as he looked at the other two, "Let's get started!"


	5. Chapter 5

Several days passed into a week and it was almost like a blur to George. For the most part, days used to feel so dreadfully _long_ to him; ever since meeting Dream, however, it seemed like the days passed faster than he ever recalled. Perhaps this was a good thing. Dream, George, and Bad kept themselves busy preparing for their trip into the nether. Most of the days were spent collecting supplies around them. 

George managed to shear wool from whatever sheep they managed to find as they traveled. He was ever grateful that Bad packed useful tools like shears, things that Dream had yet to collect or had worn out over his years of traveling. Bad was incredibly impressed with George being able to spin wool into bandages and that he knew how to make hardened string out of spiderwebs. 

As they spent the days traveling and searching for necessary supplies, they never once came across a deep cave. They only found small openings with some coal for torches, but no iron and they didn't want to risk their only pickaxes to mine down to look for more. It was disappointing but they had their hands full with getting other supplies that they figured they'd come across a good cave eventually as they traveled.

When they weren't hunting for food to stock up on or supplies to pack away, Dream was was teaching George how to fight. They sparred for what felt like hours every afternoon and George was pleased that he wasn't as bad as he thought he was at first, no matter that Dream did everything effortlessly. That didn't count. George knew better by now than to compare his skills to _Dream's._

George grew more nervous the more days passed by. Truthfully, he was still frightened by the idea of going into the nether. The nether wasn't a place most people went to willingly because people died all the time there. It was that fact that made him so nervous. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost his new friends and he realized one night as he tried to sleep that Dream and Bad were now all he had. 

Unlike them, _he_ didn't have friends who remembered him and might be waiting for rescue. He didn't even have a home anymore. Dream and Bad were all he had left and if they died in the nether...but when George remembered how excited they both were at getting closer to saving their loved ones, he didn't have it in his heart to tell them his anxieties.

The only thing George could do was try to improve his skills so he could protect his friends.

* * *

"Your stances are getting better, I'll give you that," Dream teased as he shuffled away from George, swinging his iron sword around in his hand lazily. George rolled his eyes at Dream, "You're almost good enough to disarm me too, but not quite."

"Maybe you're not a good teacher then," George taunted, smirking and Dream huffed, "You've only been teaching me defensive stuff anyway."

"Well you _do_ need to learn how to block and parry," Dream grinned, "You've learned that pretty quickly I'd say."

George blinked, flushing a bit at the unexpected praise, "Thanks..."

"Let's go again. This time I'll walk you through how to disarm your opponent and then we can try to spar again," Dream ordered, still grinning. George nodded seriously as they stepped closer to each other, each getting in stances.

True to his word, Dream gave him advice as they slowly worked through the motions of how to disarm someone. It amazed George just how good Dream was at this. The advice he gave him was easy to understand and he explained things so thoroughly, like how to move every part of his body as George moved to disarm him. Once he'd done it successfully, or at least up to Dream's standards, they leaned back and George was smiling brightly.

"Okay, now let's try that in actual spar again. No slow stuff," Dream said and then he smirked, "Maybe you'll _actually_ disarm me this time."

George's eyebrow twitched in annoyance and he frowned at how overly confident Dream was being. Oh how he'd love to take him down a peg! George shifted into a stance and Dream, still smirking, shifted into a stance as well. Dream moved towards him first, catching him off guard. He still managed to bring his sword up to block Dream's. He could feel Dream pressing forward, trying to use his strength to begin disarming him.

Managing to side-step and catch Dream off guard, George ducked from a swing of Dream's sword and they almost began a repetitive dance of trying to disarm each other. It seemed like they were both holding their own for several long minutes. George was already panting with exertion from trying to keep Dream from disarming him and Dream wasn't even breaking out into a sweat. This annoyed him.

Suddenly struck with an idea, a stupid _stupid_ idea, George smiled to himself and as his sword once again blocked Dream's sword, he pressed as close as he could, watching confusion briefly flash through Dream's eyes. And then as they both struggled, George moved his face close to Dream's, making the taller male's expression change to one of shock and Dream leaned away spluttering, his eyes wide.

George used that slight distraction to his advantage and pushed back hard with his sword. Dream stumbled slightly and George spun in a circle before kicking Dream straight in the chest. Dream feel to his bottom in the grass, his sword almost flying out his hand. George immediately hovered the tip of his sword in front of Dream, who looked shell-shocked. 

"I did it!" George breathed, his eyes widening as he realized his plan worked. 

"What was _that?!_ " Dream near-yelled, the look of shock still on his face, "Why'd you...you got-"

George immediately started laughing and beamed, "Isn't that something you said when you first started teaching me? Expect the unexpected?"

"Yeah but you..." Dream muttered, cutting himself off. George rose an eyebrow. Dream almost seemed flustered. Dream _never_ got flustered. It was gone before George could really study his expression behind the mask. Dream gave a tiny grin, "It almost seemed like you wanted to _kiss_ me, Georgie."

George blushed but he scoffed all the same, "As if...you're just a sore loser."

"You only won the spar because you played a dirty trick," Dream snickered and playfully fluttered his long eyelashes at George, "Aren't you gonna offer to help me up?"

"You're so stupid," George laughed softly, his chest feeling light in amusement as he offered Dream his hand. He helped Dream up and noticed how Dream's hand tightened in his own for a second before they both let go.

"You look exhausted," Dream commented after a moment, he sounded amused. George huffed, adjusting his blue hoodie.

"Kind of. Not everyone is a born warrior like you," He replied and Dream rose an eyebrow at him. It wasn't that he sounded bitter, but it was obvious there was something behind George's tone. George flicked his eyes away from Dream's.

He felt a hand in his own again and his eyes widened slightly, his heart immediately skipping a beat as Dream said softly, "You _are_ learning really quickly George. You'll be giving me a real run for my money soon. I wouldn't lie to you about that."

George realized Dream was trying to comfort him. A small but warm smile blossom on his face as he faced Dream. Dream was smiling back at him sincerely, "Thanks Dream..."

"You're welcome," Dream beamed, his smile widening. George suddenly wished he could see Dream's whole face and not just his smile. It was hard enough seeing his eyes sometimes. George resisted the odd urge to squint and study Dream, "I have an idea!"

"What's that?" George asked, tilting his head curiously. A look passed through Dream's eyes then but that was replaced by a smirk and excitement. George felt a pang in his chest. He's become accustomed to the fact that _that_ look meant Dream was up to no good.

"Let's take a break from the sparring," Dream began as his expression lit up even more, "I should teach you some things about evading pursuers and tracking."

George blinked, thrown off guard by that, "And how will you do that?"

Dream's smirk widened and suddenly George wished he never asked. Dream leaned closer to George and that's when George still realized they were holding hands. What the hell?! "You learn by doing right? Well you start running and I'll hunt you, that'll be your evading lesson. Try not to get caught by me."

" _What?"_ George gulped, a full body shiver suddenly racked his body as he took a step back, trying to tug his hand out of Dream's.

Dream laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement, "I'll give you a three minute head start and then I'll start hunting you. You have to try to evade me, okay?"

George desperately tried to calm his frantically beating heart, "I've never...how will I learn anything while _running_ from you?"

"If you're observant you'll learn some things," Dream teased, "And afterwards I'll advise you about things you might not have noticed."

"I think you're just wanting to play," George pouted, feeling annoyed. Dream wheezed lightly.

"That too," He grinned, showing teeth and George felt another shiver go through him. Dream suddenly let go of his hand and pointed to the woods on their left, "Your three minute head start begins _now_."

Realizing how serious Dream was, George immediately started running and sheathed his sword for the time being. He could feel Dream's eyes on him for awhile until he disappeared into the trees. George was already breathing fast, panicking. He didn't know the first _thing_ about evading pursuers. He'd never had to do that before! How was he supposed to hide and evade _Dream_?! 

He knew enough to know that his footsteps and breathing could give him away to Dream if he wasn't careful, but how does one avoid stepping on sticks and leaves without breaking their damn ankles? George frowned heavily, studying the area as he ran. Could he get away with hiding in the trees? The trees would also let him see the area around him better. 

George rushed toward the closest tree, one that had many branches, and began climbing. His heart was pounding in his chest. It'd already felt like three minutes had passed. Surely Dream was chasing him by now. He hurriedly climbed up the tree as high as he could go. He could see the fields he and Dream were sparring in and, sure enough, Dream wasn't there anymore. George's breath hitched and he burrowed closer to the leaves of the tree, trying to keep himself hidden.

It was almost deathly silent for a minute and George kept feeling a pang of hurt in his chest. He realized then he was unconsciously holding his breath. He tried to slow down his breathing so he wasn't making much noise. Then he heard a snap. His eyes went wide as he glanced around. A few yards away, Dream was squatting down, studying the ground intently. George almost slapped his hands over his mouth to prevent the gasp in the back of his throat.

Dream stood slowly and looked around, smirking, "Oh George~!"

George felt an odd thrill wash over him and bit his tongue to keep his mouth shut. He pressed his hands closer over his mouth and nose, trying to stay as silent as possible. Dream was still studying his surroundings but never lost his smirk, "You did good hiding footprints and I can tell you kept trying not to step on any sticks or leaves. That's smart."

He felt himself turn warm in the face a little at the praise and kept his eyes trained on Dream, praying that Dream didn't look too hard in any of the trees and spot him. Dream kept scanning the ground, "However, I don't see anymore disturbed dirt from this point. So you climbed a tree, huh?"

George felt his heart stop. Dream could tell he didn't keep running just by looking into the dirt? How did he know that for _sure?_ Dream began scanning the trees and George's mind started racing. Does he climb down enough, jump down, and make a run for it? Does he stay hidden within the leaves and hope Dream doesn't spot him?

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Dream scanning up the trees. George felt himself panic. He should have protested this little lesson of Dream's more. Dream's eyes were glazed over in thought as he kept looking, "Where are you George? I know you're here somewhere~! You should have kept running away instead of hiding in a tree."

George frowned, irritation flaring in his chest. Dream _knew_ that George wasn't experienced with this kind of thing! His irritation immediately vanished when Dream's eyes were scanning the tree he was in. Then George outright panicked when Dream's eyes roamed over the leaves and then latched onto his. Dream smirked, "There you are Georgie!"

Gasping, George began curling himself and climbing down the tree a little just as Dream rushed forward, laughing as he began climbing up. George just needed to get close enough so he could jump down safely and run off. His heart was hammering in his chest and he climbed down. He gasped when he saw how fast Dream was climbing, "Are you meeting me halfway or what? You're giving up George?"

"Not on your life," George scoffed, stunning Dream momentarily. George took advantage of that and jumped, mentally preparing himself for the sting in his ankles. He gasped when he landed on the ground and felt pain flare from his ankles up into his knees. He half-fell to the ground but immediately scrambled up, running off as he heard Dream land on the ground as well.

"Come on, George~!" Dream laughed out and George couldn't help but panic as he heard Dream running after him. He could hear the crunching on the ground and it sounded pretty close behind him. George pushed himself to go faster.

"Leave me _alone_ Dream!" George gasped and Dream's laughing turned into wheezing, almost making George grin despite himself. If he didn't feel like his chest was on fire, George _might_ have enjoyed this chase more, "This isn't even a lesson!"

"It is in a way," Dream teased and George desperately wanted to look over his shoulder because it sounded like Dream was literally right behind him. George felt like he couldn't run any faster than he was, "Just let me catch you, George."

"No!" George yelled, pursing his lips. Dream laughed again and, out of the corner of his eye, George saw some berry bushes. That gave George an idea. He grinned and ran in a way that hopefully hid the bush from Dream's view. When George was close enough he paused for the briefest second, knowing Dream was probably close behind him, and then jumped.

He immediately took off running again, trying to control his ragged breathing when he heard Dream curse and it sounded like he stumbled, "What the hell George?"

George threw back his head and laughed because he couldn't help it. He wasn't _exactly_ sure that Dream would run into the berry bush but apparently his idea worked. He knew how prickly those berry bushes were and he felt hysterical at the mental image of Dream running straight into one.

He didn't realize that he had slowed down until he felt a hard body barrel into him. The unexpected force of it sent him rolling down a small little hill. George realized he was still laughing and there was a weird wheezing that he realized was Dream laughing as well. Once they stopped rolling, George gasped when he fell onto something warm.

All laughter died down and George opened his eyes to see he'd landed half on top of Dream. His head and upper body was sprawled on Dream's chest. One of George's legs were tangled with Dreams. George's eyes widened as he pushed himself up on his hands, glancing down at Dream. The taller male stopped laughing around the same time George had and was staring at George with wide eyes before he grinned, "Well this is a nice position, isn't it?"

George blushed deep red and smacked Dream across the chest, sitting up so he wasn't laying on Dream, "You're so dumb!"

"Yet you love me," Dream chuckled as he also sat up. George felt his heart jump harshly in his chest.

"Whatever you say _Dream_ ," George rolled his eyes, trying to ignore his beating heart and how red he was. He felt like he might pass out and he didn't even know completely why. 

"You're so predictable sometimes, George," Dream said as he smirked, "I knew you'd probably go for the trees."

George felt annoyance and embarrassment creep up, "Then why even suggest this little game of yours?"

"Well I wanted to have fun~!" Dream joked, chuckling once before his face mellowed out, "But I really do want to teach you about evading pursuers and stuff....just in case."

George's annoyed expression fell away in the face of Dream's seriousness, "I did learn a couple things..."

"I'll teach you more about how I tracked you down," Dream grinned as his eyes lit up, "Let's take a break though."

" _Thank_ you," George groaned dramatically, lying back in the grass and leaves while closing his eyes, "I feel like I'm dying right now and you look like you barely broke a sweat!"

"I'm used to this, remember?" Dream replied, something odd in his tone. It almost sounded like sarcasm but George realized it was slight bitterness...like he wasn't proud that he was experienced. George felt a bit of coldness wash over him when he remembered this wasn't exactly the life Dream has _chosen_. 

"Sorry," George apologized quietly, opening his eyes. He squinted at the light from the sun and focused on the trees instead. Dream stayed silent for a second and George heard rustling. He cut his eyes away from the tree to look to his right. Dream slowly laid down next to him, but with the mask on and his position, George couldn't see his expression, only his lips.

"It's okay," Dream murmured finally, staring at the sky. George wished he could see Dream's full expression but looked away from his mask to look back up at the swaying trees. 

The two stayed quiet for several long moments. George wondered if Bad was getting worried about them yet. He knew where they were though and what they were doing. They always sparred at this time and usually Bad was off getting food or wood while they were gone. Bad was probably fine.

"Hey George...?" Dream questioned, his voice trailing off. His tone was soft enough that he didn't really startle George out of his thoughts. George turned his head to look at the side of Dream's mask.

"Yeah Dream?"

"Why didn't you leave your village?" Dream asked quietly and George froze, "Before me, I mean...why did you stay there with those people? I know that was random but sometimes it bothers me..."

"I..." George swallowed and then cleared his throat. Dream turned his head and George momentarily paused when Dream's golden-like eyes latched onto his dark brown ones, "The world is pretty dangerous and I...didn't think I could do it alone. I didn't think _anyone_ could...until you."

"What do you mean 'me'?" Dream parroted, clearing confused. 

"Other than that injury when we met, you seemed just fine on your own. You survived all those years," George whispered, looking away for a minute.

"I wouldn't call that fine," Dream muttered and George felt a pang in his chest. Did he offend Dream? "I don't think I really came out of that fine..."

"What do you mean?" George questioned, confusion and empathy coloring his tone. Dream shuffled and cleared his throat. George realized that Dream felt awkward. He'd never seen Dream awkward before.

"For years I never spoke more than a couple of sentences to a person," Dream explained hesitantly, his eyes meeting George's again, "Not being around people for years, being alone like that, it does things to people."

"I guess it would," George frowned, his eyes scanning Dream, "But you seem fine to me. And you're not alone anymore."

He reached out and grabbed Dream's hand without thinking. George didn't like when people touched him and quite frankly it might be because no one ever touched him or hugged him. Not since his parents. No one showed him affection with words or physically after his parents. No one except Dream. Maybe that was why it didn't really bother George when Dream did things like hugging him or touching his hand or his arm.

Dream's eyes went a little wide before he smiled, curling his fingers around George's, "Thank you George. You're so sweet."

George blushed a little and rolled his eyes, "I-I'm not sweet...you just haven't met many decent people."

" _I'll_ say!" Dream laughed, almost wheezing. George grinned at the familiar wheeze and laughed a little. After he calmed down a bit, Dream glanced over at George again, "What kind of things do you like to do George...?"

"What's with you and all these random questions?" George teased and Dream snickered, "Well, I generally just like to make things...like crafting in general."

"You're really good at it," Dream nodded, grinning. George flushed but smiled, feeling pleased, "Is there anything else you like doing?"

George hummed and stared at the swaying trees again in thought, "I like climbing..."

"Not surprising," Dream teased and George giggled, unable to help himself.

"I also like swimming," George grinned as he looked back at Dream, "I'm also finding out that I like archery. I'm pretty good with a bow...but I still want to get better with a sword."

Dream nodded, smiling softly, "You can work on both. I've noticed you have really good aim with a bow but you can get better at sword for self defense!"

"Yeah," George laughed, feeling oddly proud that he managed to impress Dream with his bow skills. He only recently started using a bow when he, Dream, and Bad go hunting for food. He peeked at Dream again, "What about you?"

"Huh?" Dream looked over at him like he was caught off guard.

"What things do _you_ like to do?" George asked with a smile. Dream blinked at him before smiling.

"Oh. Well I like swordsmanship...its weird but I like fighting with axes too," Dream smirked and George chuckled, somehow that suited him, "I also like parkouring."

"Parkouring?" George rose an eyebrow, caught off guard.

"Yeah, you know what that is right?" Dream asked hesitantly, like he might offend George.

"Of course I know what parkouring is," George laughed before shaking his head, "Or I've heard of it I should say. I haven't seen anyone actually parkour before."

"I'm really good at it," Dream boasted as his eyes lit up. George blinked at him in surprise, "Back at my home village, we used to have this little parkour thing set up and the teens and kids would all play on it, competing with each other. I always won and Sapnap would come pretty close too!"

George felt warmth in his chest and he fondly smiled as he watched Dream talk about the good memories of his village. Eventually though Dream trailed off and his smile died. George squeezed his hand, hoping to comfort him. Dream looked at George's face quietly for a second.

"You know George you...." Dream trailed off like he was uncertain and George rose an eyebrow when he smiled after a second like he'd made a decision, "I never thought I'd feel close to someone like this after my family...after Sapnap..."

George felt his heart leap in his throat and a funny feeling in his stomach. Suddenly he was hyper aware of how close they were and it felt like his hand in Dream's was hot and almost going to get sweaty. He resisted the urge to pull away when Dream continued, "I care about you just like I cared about my family and just like I care about Sapnap...and Bad too. I love you."

George's mouth parted and he felt his heart thudding in his chest. Dream cared about him like he was his family? He felt his heart melt and his eyes burn. No one has ever cared about him like that. Is this what it meant to have a friend? Its been years since anyone told him they loved him. George attempted to speak around the thick emotions in his throat, "T-Thanks Dream..."

"You okay?" Dream asked, sounding a bit concerned. He squeezed George's hand, "Did I make you uncomfortable?"

"No," George shook his head, "I've just never had someone say stuff like that to me or care about me...it just made me happy."

"Aww, George," Dream grinned, relieved that George wasn't upset.

"How are you so _blunt_ with your feelings like that? Don't you get embarrassed?" George complained and Dream wheezed, laughing loudly. George allowed a small smile to stretch across his face, "I'm glad we're friends..."

Dream paused then and George wondered if that was weird to say. Something flashed across Dream's gaze before Dream smiled, "Me too..."

Both Dream and George stiffened when they heard a noise in the distance. They immediately separated their hands and stood. Then the noise drew close enough for them to make out. It was Bad calling for them, "Dream? George?"

"Bad!" George cupped his hands around his mouth to call for the black-clad male, "We're over here!"

George and Dream walked towards Bad's voice and eventually met up with the other halfway in the woods. Bad looked immensely relieved once he caught sight of them. Then he frowned, "Where were you two muffins? You've been gone longer than you usually are and when I came to the field you weren't there!"

"Sorry," Dream grinned brightly, "I was teaching him something new and we lost track of time."

Bad rose an eyebrow and studied the two before he sighed, "Well let's get back. It'll be dark in a couple of hours and we need to start building a fire to cook."

"Yes sir," George teased and both he and Dream laughed when Bad shot him a look. All three immediately turned to head back to their little camp.

* * *

That night after they'd eaten some strips of cooked beef, Bad discussed some ideas with them. It'd been a week since they'd met up with Techno and decided to take a trip into the nether yet they haven't found a single cave deep enough to provide iron let alone diamonds. Bad convinced them that their best bet was to go up higher into the mountains to look for deep caves.

Dream agreed with Bad and George did too, but it was going to get pretty cold if they decided to go up a mountain. When he voiced that, however, they didn't seem worried about the cold. Dream even jokingly said that if George got too cold then they could just cuddle. All jokes aside, George eventually agreed that their best bet was to travel to a mountain. And that's what they decided to do when the sun rose again.

For now it was George's turn to keep watch half the night before he was due to wake up Bad for the last half of the night. However, Dream was awake with him instead of sleeping like Bad which was kind of annoying considering Dream kept watch _a lot_ due to Dream's own insistence, so it was annoying that he wasn't sleeping when he _could_.

George flicked his brown eyes to study Dream where he sat against the log of a tree, helping George make arrows with feathers they'd been collecting over the past few days. They weren't going to be the best arrows since they didn't have iron for the arrowhead but it was better than not having any arrows at all.

"Tell me again why you _aren't_ sleeping?" George sighed, pausing in his own movements. Dream grinned and looked up at him.

"Aww, don't hurt my feelings Georgie. Don't you want to spend time with me?" Dream joked and George narrowed his eyes at him.

"Seriously Dream...you're always trying to keep watch and you don't get as much sleep as the rest of us," George complained and Dream went silent, his smile falling, "Why don't you just go to sleep? Do you think I can't handle watching out for you two, is that it?"

_"No!"_ Dream shouted, his eyes widening and his head whipping around to face George. George flinched at the loudness and suddenness of Dream's shout, "I don't think that about you George!"

"Then what is it? Why won't you sleep?" George questioned quietly, allowing worry to show on his face. Dream's mouth twisted.

"I just couldn't fall asleep that's all..." Dream trailed off. Dream's golden-yellow eyes stared at the stick and knife in his hand, "It's nothing George...I'll try again in another hour I promise."

George scowled but didn't want to push Dream to talk if he didn't want to, "Okay, I'll hold you to that."

Dream still looked tense and George momentarily felt guilty for that so George smiled and decided to change the subject as he went back to chipping away at his own stick with his own knife, "Hey Dream...are your eyes green?"

"Huh?" Dream blurted, looking over at him in confusion. George giggled, "Oh...right. Yeah they are. They're almost like a darkish-green I think. I've always had green eyes."

"Darkish green huh?" George parroted, studying Dream from where he sat close to their fire. He couldn't see Dream's eyes well from the distance. Dream smiled.

"What color do you see them as? I didn't even realize until now that you wouldn't see green," Dream laughed slightly and George grinned.

"To me they're a golden color, almost like a golden brown and sometimes they look dark yellowish. So I knew it must be some shade of green," George shrugged and Dream snickered.

"That actually sounds pretty cool," Dream said and George smiled, "I wish I could see what you see."

George's eyes widened as he flicked his eyes to Dream again. Dream wasn't looking at him though, but at what he was doing. George huffed, smiling, "Then you wouldn't see your favorite color."

"Trueee," Dream drawled, laughing once more but then he paused and looked over at George, "Wait...how do you know my favorite color was green? I never told you that."

"I just assumed based on what you always wear. Unless it's _actually_ yellow and you like yellow?" George teased and Dream rolled his eyes.

"Okay wise guy. So you're more observant than I thought," Dream huffed and George laughed, covering his mouth. Dream's mouth quirked into a smile.

There was the briefest rustle in the distance. Dream and George froze, both their heads whirling around to look at their surroundings. Their small camp was lit up with torches, enough to see a small parameter around their camp so that anyone keeping watch could see a mob coming and have time to alert the others while taking action.

They didn't see anything but George felt his shoulders tense. Was it just the wind rustling leaves? As if answering his thoughts, there were more rustling and he jolted when Dream stood abruptly. A second after that, they heard the telltale signs of groaning. George stood up quickly as well, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he reached for his sword. Dream already had his out.

"Bad!" George whispered loudly, nudging Bad's sleeping form with his foot. Bad was sleeping on the other side of the campfire George has been sitting close to. He nudged harder and Bad groaned.

"What...what is it?" Bad grumbled as he rubbed one eye with a palm. George opened his mouth to answer, but multiple groans answered instead. Dream cursed under his breath while Bad's eyes widened and he struggled to stand quickly, immediately awake. Fear pumped in George's veins as he realized it was more than _one_ zombie coming.

"We really need to add shields to our list of supplies," Dream hissed under his breath, almost like he were actually talking to himself. George's eyes widened.

"That's a good idea," George muttered as his hand curled around his iron sword. Bad was loading his crossbow when the first two zombies showed themselves, thankfully in the direction they were facing.

Dream was rushing forward before George had time to blink, but he quickly joined Dream's side. Both of them kept the zombies out of biting range using their swords and George tried not to get distracted when Dream side-stepped, letting the zombie he was facing stumble before swung around and decapitated it with one single swing.

George scowled as he dodged getting grabbed by the zombie he was facing. He pushed the zombie back with his sword before kicking one of its legs with his foot. When it was off balance he thrust his sword forward, impaling it. George felt bile rise up his throat at the yellowish brown substance that started leaking from it. He pulled his sword out and swung it again, cutting into its neck. It wasn't enough to decapitate it like Dream had done but it did kill it.

He glanced over to see Dream was engaged with another zombie and he briefly flicked his eyes to Bad, startled to see him using one of his arrows to stab a zombie in the eye. There was another sneaking up on him, "Bad, look out!"

Bad whipped around immediately at George's shout and kicked the other zombie away from him before it could grab him. He surprised George by grabbing a dagger from somewhere in his black jacket and throwing it in the zombie's face. George shivered. Sometimes even _Bad_ seemed dangerous.

"I think that's the last of 'em," Dream spoke up and they both looked over to see Dream standing over the body of the other zombie he'd been fighting. George quickly looked away when he noticed guts coming out of that body. George distracted himself by leaning down and trying to clean his sword with the grass. It wasn't as easy to do as he thought.

"Are you guys okay?" Bad asked and George could feel Bad checking him over. He rolled his eyes affectionately.

"Yeah we're fine," Dream laughed and George heard him walk over towards Bad, "Are you good?"

"Yup!" Bad answered cheerfully. George huffed in irritation when he almost got zombie blood on his hands. He was so wrapped up in trying to clean his sword that he almost jumped two feet in air when Dream shouted.

" _BAD!_ " 

George whirled around in time to see Dream throwing himself at Bad and an arrow whiz past them, cutting Dream along his cheek instead of hitting Bad in the head like it would have. George's eyes widened as panic clogged his throat when Dream stumbled from surprise. Bad steadied him looking ready to fall in the ground with panic of his own.

George whipped his head to where the arrow came from and before he realized it, he was running towards that direction. Coming into view from the trees, George saw a familiar flash of white and acted without thinking. He grabbed his sword with both hands as he ran up, jumped, and swung his iron sword in a large arc. He apparently used more strength than he thought because the skeleton's skull was whacked clean off its body and went flying, hitting a tree behind it and rolling to a stop on the ground a good ways away.

He was panting and his eyes were still wide as he turned to meet Dream's and Bad's shocked gazes. George could hardly believe that just happened. His head was spinning. Dream's expression turned to awe, "George! That was _amazing!_ You were _so_ fast!"

"I d...don't even know what happened," George breathed, startled when Bad walked around Dream with a beam on his face.

"See I _told_ you that you had good reaction timing!" Bad teased as his eyes lit up, "You did so good, George!" 

George felt himself blush but that disappeared completely when he looked back at Dream and saw the thin blood trail going from his cheek to his neck, "Dream!"

Dream startled, eyes widening, "W-What?!"

Bad seemed to remember that Dream got hurt too and he whirled around to look at Dream's cut, "You muffin! Sit down!"

It was sort of amusing watching Bad basically wrestle Dream into sitting next to the campfire as Dream protested. George rushed towards them and grabbed his pack, shuffling to get to his wool bandages as Bad leaned back and looked around, "George, you're better at fixing injuries than me. I'll leave Dream to you."

"You're both dramatic," Dream groaned, rolling his eyes, "It's just a small cut. You're lucky it wasn't your head, Bad."

Bad's face softened, "I know. Thank you for saving me, Dream. You're such a good little muffin."

Dream snorted in amusement but actually looked a tad embarrassed, much to George's surprise and amusement. He squatted down close to Dream's right side and leaned in to examine Dream's cheek. The cut wasn't deep enough to need stitches and immediate relief flood through George's body. 

George didn't even realize he was beaming until Dream gave a tiny laugh and asked, "What?"

"Huh?" George said, meeting Dream's gaze. He realized how close they were and tried not to blush, "Uh, nothing...looks like you don't need stitches."

"Told you you were being dramatic," Dream smirked and George ignored him as he began to carefully wipe up the blood on Dream's skin to clean the wound. He realized his fingers were shaking but he couldn't make them stop. He just hoped Dream didn't notice.

He wiped up the blood and used some more water on wool to clean the cut itself. He got a clean piece of wool cloth and began to tape it to cover Dream's cut when Dream spoke up again, almost hesitantly, "George...?"

"What?" George asked quietly, as he smoothed the bandage, trying to make sure it was covering the cut well.

"Are you okay? You're shaking..."

Dream sounded worried. George leaned back, avoiding Dream's eyes as he looked around, spotting Bad walking around their torches, scowling into the woods as he continued to make sure no more mobs were coming. He turned back to face Dream, "Yeah, I'm okay...its just...I dunno..."

"Just what...?" Dream questioned, tilting his head with interest as he scooted closer to George, who gulped.

"It's just...when I heard you shout and saw that arrow whiz past you...." George paused, biting his lip, "I kept thinking what would have happened if you didn't dodge in time."

Dream went silent. Then after a long moment he scooted even closer to George so that their arms were touching. George felt strangely comforted, "Sorry George..."

"You're so reckless you know?" George glared at him and Dream's eyes widened behind his mask, "I get that you were protecting Bad but you...you're always doing something dangerous!"

"Not _always_ ," Dream protested but he was strangely smiling. George rose an eyebrow at him and Dream noticed, "Sorry...I can't help but feel happy."

George looked at him like he grew another head then and Dream laughed loudly, wheezing. This startled poor Bad from across the way and he rose an eyebrow at them, getting closer, "Is Dream loopy from losing too much blood?"

This made Dream wheeze even harder and George felt a hysterical laugh bubble out of him because Bad somehow sounded _serious_ and Dream barely lost blood at _all._ Dream was laughing so hard there were tears in his eyes and he was leaning heavily on George. Bad started chuckling like he couldn't help it, "You two are actually crazy. I don't even know why were laughing!"

"W-We need to stop, we're gonna draw more mobs," George giggled as he covered his mouth. Bad nodded as his chuckles died down and Dream started calming down, gasping. George shook his head at him, "Why in the world did you say you were _happy_ when I was scolding you?"

Bad rose an eyebrow and Dream chuckled, still breathing deeply, "B-Because...when I got cut you two look like you were panicking so much and it was really _nothing_ , you know? It made me realize how much you guys cared about me."

Bad and George exchanged a look. Then George laughed, "I thought you already knew that, dummy!"

"I did but...." Dream trailed off, a big smile on his face, "But I don't know..."

"Well, on a random note, I don't think there are anymore mobs around. At least for now," Bad sighed as he looked around again. George sobered and nodded seriously, also looking around. They both stared at Dream when he slowly pushed himself up to stand. He began walking to where the skeleton was, "What are you doing, Dream?"

"I want these bones," Dream explained in a simple tone as he bent over and started picking up the skeleton's bones.

"What the hell?" George gasped and Bad glared at him, "Are you a hoarder or something? Why do you want skeleton bones?"

"I'm gonna make something with it," Dream laughed, smirking over at George, "It's a surprise. I'll show you when I make it!"

George rose an eyebrow but decided he was suddenly to exhausted to question Dream. He sighed, packing away the wool he'd brought out for Dream. Bad shrugged and then sighed himself, "I'm too awake to fall asleep now. I'll keep watch so you and Dream should sleep the rest of the night."

"Okay Bad...thanks," George smiled tiredly before looking at Dream when he came back to the fire and started packing away the bones, "You're actually gonna try to sleep, right Dream? You promised..."

Dream looked over at him and smiled, "I will once I pack this away."

True to his word, Dream packed the bones away and grabbed his leather bed roll. To George's surprise, Dream walked over and smoothed his bed roll right next to George as George watched. He decided not to say anything. Truth be told, after seeing Dream almost shot in the face by a skeleton and everything else that happened, he'd probably feel better having Dream sleep close by.

Dream caught his eye as he laid down and grinned. George couldn't help but smile back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long! I was out of town for a week for Thanksgiving and my baby brother's birthday!
> 
> Once I got back I had to deal with some internet and personal issues but I should be back to my once a week schedule! ENJOY! Thank you for all the kudos, comments, and bookmarks! :)

"This is just plain ridiculous!" Dream complained as he, George, and Bad walked through a bit of light snow. 

"At least we got some of coal and iron from that small cave yesterday," George grinned over at Dream, who sighed deeply.

That was true. Two days had passed before the boys were even able to find a decent mountain to travel on. Once they had found one Bad was pretty excited about the possibility of finding a good cave, however, the only cave they found wasn't deep and they'd only found a bit more coal and just a little bit of iron; it wasn't even enough to make any armor with.

It seemed to be taking forever to find a decent cave and Dream was getting a little impatient. He never was one that liked waiting. George was beginning to notice that Dream was getting angsty and was being really good to Dream by trying to be cheerful or distract him from pessimistic thoughts. George really was amazing...

"...and we should find a village soon. Hopefully we can smelt whatever we find there," Bad started saying and Dream blinked, unaware they had continued talking this whole time while he was stuck in thoughts, "What do you think Dream?"

"I agree," Dream sighed lightly this time and looked over at Bad. He was staring at Dream's map, "We've been marking down anything noteworthy but we haven't seen a village since yours, Bad."

"True," Bad frowned thoughtfully as he looked up from the map, "But we'll come across one _eventually_. Finding a decent cave is the problem right now."

Dream's eyes flickered towards George when he noticed George rubbing his arms a little. Dream was extremely used to both the hot and the cold due to traveling outdoors most of his life. Bad seemed to be okay with it too, plus he was dressed in thicker clothes than Dream or George. Even with a hoodie on, however, it seemed that George was struggling a bit with the chill in the air.

"You okay, George?" Dream asked in concern and George looked over at him in surprise.

"Oh...I'm just a little cold," George laughed slightly, crossing his arms, "I didn't think to bring more clothes other than a hoodie."

"It's not too bad since we're not at the top of the mountain," Bad smiled gently, "If you get too cold we can stop and make a fire or I could lend you my black jacket!"

"No, I'm okay Bad," George chuckled, shaking his head, "Let's just focus on finding another cave soon."

Another quiet hour went by as the boys looked around the expanse of the mountain but there were no caves in sight. Dream's eye twitched. He'd never had a problem finding them before, so why did it seem impossible to find good caves now?! Dream groaned, tucking a hand under his mask to rub his face.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked down into George's face. George looked slightly amused, "Why don't we take a break? Let's warm up and eat something."

"Yes!" Bad cheered as he dramatically dropped his pack to the ground and rolled his shoulders, "I really needed a break but didn't want to be the one to ask."

"Pfff, why not?" Dream grinned as he and George both let their packs drop to the ground too, "There's nothing wrong with admitting you need a break."

"I know..." Bad trailed off, shrugging, "Dream can you get a fire started? I'll get some of our packaged meat out."

Dream nodded as he knelt down and rummaged in his pack for his flint and steel. George unwound some wood they each had tied to their pack and began helping Dream arrange it in a neat pile so they could start a fire. It didn't need to be big since they weren't actually camping here so they didn't use a lot of their wood.

Soon after the fire began to spread, Bad distributed some cut meat to Dream and George. They each sat around the fire as close as they could and ate their meat in silence. While they did this Dream checked their food supplies. They'd been stocking up on pork and beef whenever they could. They'd eat it before it could go bad but the best resource of their food came from fruit in trees and fish that Dream caught. 

"You're checking the bag a lot, is something wrong?" Bad spoke up and Dream's eyes flicked to him.

"Oh...no I was just checking how much food we had," Dream explained slowly and Bad nodded, glancing at the bag before smiling, "We've been rationing pretty well."

"Food doesn't seem to be a problem," George sighed, "If only we were as lucky at finding _caves_ as we are with finding food."

"True," Dream laughed, sitting back and shifting to get comfortable. They continued eating and Bad was the first one finished. Dream watched Bad begin to sharpen a large knife he noticed the black-clad male liked to use when he wasn't using his crossbow. 

"Hey Bad...can I ask you something?" George inquired suddenly. They both looked over at him in surprise. Dream noticed the glazed look in George's dark brown eyes.

"Sure George," Bad nodded, gently smiling at the smaller male.

"How'd you get so good at fighting? I noticed during that attack two nights ago that you're pretty good," George commented as he cocked his head, staring at Bad thoughtfully.

"Oh," Bad laughed, grinning brightly, "Skeppy and I used to always spar. We'd play around, practicing with weapons. I'm not really good at fighting..."

Both Dream and George looked at him uncertainly. Dream had noticed Bad's skills as well. Bad blinked at their expressions, "What?"

"The way you stabbed that one zombie in the eye with an arrow and then threw your knife in another's face makes me think you are better at fighting than you think," George replied in amusement, a smile breaking out on his face. Dream snickered.

Bad flushed pink, "Well...I'm good with like a bow...sometimes. I'm better at throwing or shooting things than I am with a sword. I'm used to trying to defend myself. Skeppy used to insist on spars because he was afraid of me not being able to protect myself...."

They could immediately tell that Bad was getting lost in his memories, a sad expression forming on his face. Dream frowned, his chest aching as he thought of Sapnap. Before he could get lost in his own memories George spoke up again, "Skeppy sounds like a great person, Bad. You're so lucky to have him."

Bad's eyes widened in surprise at George before he smiled warmly, "Yeah I am...he's great!"

Something odd flashed across Bad's expression as his eyes drifted over Dream and then George. Dream rose an eyebrow at him and opened his mouth to question him, but Bad beat him to it, "Have you two ever been in love?"

Immediately Dream paled and he glanced down, his heart clenching in his chest. Apparently his reaction was super noticeable because when he looked up, George and Bad were watching him with wide eyes. George spoke up hesitantly, "Dream...you okay?"

"Yeah...its just...I _have_ been in love before but..." Dream cursed under his breath for stammering. George's mouth parted and Bad's eyes widened a tad further, "But it didn't end well for me..."

"Did they....die during the attack?" Bad swallowed nervously, clenching his hands together. Dream frowned, his shoulders falling.

"No...I was 15 and it was a year before the attack..." Dream explained with a sigh before his chest clenched further. He frowned, "I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm sorry," Bad frowned sadly, glancing at Dream before turned to George. George flinched, his eyes wide, "George...was there ever anyone that showed interest in you?"

Dream felt his heart ache when George's face fell as he stared at the ground distantly, "No. Never. No one was ever interested in me."

"George..." Bad looked extremely concerned, "Were you alone the whole time? No one was ever nice to you? How on earth did you handle that?"

Dream's eyes widened largely. He'd never considered that exactly. George told him that his parents died when he was eight. If no one acted kindly towards him and shunned him...did that mean he grew up alone with no one to speak with? Dream felt himself pale as he remembered what _he_ told George.

_"For years I never spoke more than a couple of sentences to a person."_

_"Not being around people for years, being alone like that, it does things to people."_

George was just like him...only he'd been alone longer than Dream ever was. Bad was right. How did George stand that?! Dream felt nauseous thinking about it but he whirled his head around when George spoke up quietly, "I uh...just had to deal with it? I mean, sometimes travelers or wandering traders came by and we'd chat...it wasn't always so bad. I managed."

"How did you learn anything?" Dream asked in slight horror and Bad sent him a look of concern, "You were eight, right? You had no one to teach you a lot of things...did you have to teach yourself?"

Bad looked like he paled and Dream knew that Bad didn't know George had lost his parents at eight but with Dream's question he figured Bad probably understood now what Dream was talking about. George's face flushed with embarrassment and he shifted awkwardly. It sort of made Dream want to hug him.

"Yeah I mostly taught myself what I needed to know. It was....hard sometimes," George explained as he avoided their eyes, "I also learned by spying on the other villagers since they wouldn't talk to me...I'd listen in on them sometimes too. I know that's creepy but-"

"It's actually smart," Dream smiled but it felt weak on his face. His chest burned in anger at how much George had to go through. Dream wasn't sure he could have handled George's situation if it were _him_ that went through it, "You're amazing, George!"

George's eyes widened and his face turned red. Dream chuckled, feeling a bit pleased, "I-I'm not! There's....a lot I don't know..."

His face fell when he said that and Dream frowned at the sad expression that was forming on his face. He glanced over at Bad and noted how Bad looked a tad guilty as he looked at George, "W-Why don't we get moving again before we lose too much daylight?"

"Yeah, let's do that," Dream agreed, understanding that Bad was trying to change the subject. Things were awkwardly silent as they put out the fire and shrugged on their packs. 

They began walking again and Dream noticed that George was staring at the ground distantly, a frown on his face. Bad kept glancing at George, looking upset and guilty. Dream fought the urge to sigh. He wasn't sure how he could cheer George up. Maybe they shouldn't have brought up the past. Its not like they could change the past after all...

* * *

A few hours later it began to rain. It started off lightly and then four minutes later it began to come down in buckets. They managed to ward off most of the rain by ducking under an insanely large spruce tree. 

"This sucks!" Bad groaned as he checked to make sure nothing got too wet in his pack. Dream nodded in agreement as he shuffled. His clothes had gotten wet, but not enough to be damp. They really were lucky to be so close to the tree. Dream's eyes roamed over to George, who had the hood of his hoodie over his dark brown hair. He was shivering a bit and was still frowning slightly.

They hadn't exchanged much words since earlier even after the silence had become less awkward. Dream noticed how George would stare at the ground or in front of him distantly, like he was lost in thoughts. Every now and again, Dream would catch George glancing at him. It seemed that George was a bit upset and Dream didn't know what to do.

Dream stared down at George silently contemplating things he could say to get George not to look so sad or distant. George muttered something under his breath and hugged himself. Dream lifted his hands towards him and hesitated for a second before he moved closer to George. 

As straight-faced as possible, Dream began rubbing George's arms and George jumped slightly, looking at him with wide eyes, "Dream?"

"Sorry you're so cold," Dream said softly, studying George's face to see if he was uncomfortable, "Rubbing your arms like this can help generate heat."

George blinked owlishly at him and he blushed slightly, "T-Thanks..."

He shuffled away from Dream though and Dream let his hands drop, biting back a frown. George started rubbing his own arms and didn't look at Dream again. Maybe he was uncomfortable with what Dream did...Dream caught Bad staring at him and cocked his head at him. Bad just smiled and there was something knowing about it that confused him.

"Oh my God..." George gasped suddenly, startling Bad and Dream. He was squinting in the distance behind them, "Is that...guys is that a cave down there?"

"What?!" Dream whirled around and studied where George was looking. It was hard to see with all the rain, "Where at?!"

"Down there, just down that hill and to the right...it's a small opening I think," George explained as he pointed to the right, "Is it just me? It looks like a black opening...maybe its nothing?"

"No, you might be right," Bad answered brightly as he squinted too, "I think I see what you're talking about!"

Dream looked harder and through the thick rain, he saw something black tucked into the right corner of the hill. It was hard to tell if it were a cave from this distance. Dream looked at the two males, "Let's run for it. I think it could be a cave."

"If it isn't then we'll just have to run for cover again," George hesitated and looked at Bad, "Make sure Dream's map doesn't get wet."

"Yeah," Bad nodded, already shoving things around in his pack. They patiently waited until he was done, "That should do it. Let's go!"

They took off in a run and followed George down. Dream cringed when he felt the heavy rain slowly soaking into his hoodie and pants. Bad almost slipped once running downhill due to mud but George caught him by the arm and led him the rest of the way. To Dream's intense delight, it really _was_ a cave with a really small opening. It would be easy to miss if you weren't looking for it.

Dream rushed in after Bad and George and sighed in relief to not feel the rain soaking into his clothes anymore. Even _he_ was starting to feel a bit chilly now. Dream glanced around immediately, trying to judge the atmosphere to make sure there were no mobs present. While he did this, Bad immediately set down his pack and went to make a small fire.

"Ugh, my hoodie is soaked!" George complained, sounding a bit lighter than before thank God. Dream smiled and glanced over at the smaller male before his mouth went dry. George pulled his baby blue hoodie over his head and the white t-shirt underneath rode up to show some of his pale waist. Dream quickly looked away, putting hand over his racing heart.

"Leave it close enough to the fire so it can dry quicker," Bad told George as he stripped his black jacket off him, "Dream you should do the same as us. We don't need any of us getting sick."

"Yeah..." Dream agreed and turned so he could strip his own hoodie off himself. He readjusted his mask and squatted down next to the growing fire Bad made. He placed his soaked hoodie next to George's and rubbed his hands together to ward off the chill he felt.

"Good job finding this cave George," Dream spoke up after a few moments of silence passed. George flicked his eyes to him and smiled slightly, nodding.

"After we've warmed up and stuff we can take some torches and see how far this cave goes," Bad said excitedly as he shifted around, "It already seems like it'll go deep."

"At the very least we'll find a little bit more iron," George muttered as he absentmindedly stared at the flames. Dream stared at him, frowning. Dream noticed Bad staring at George as well with an unknown expression on his face. It went silent for several long minutes and it was almost suffocating to Dream.

"George, I'm _sorry!_ " Bad blurted suddenly. George jumped and Dream startled, both of them looking at Bad with wide eyes. That literally came out of nowhere. Bad looked awfully upset, "You haven't been yourself since earlier and that's because of me, right? I'm sorry for prying into your past and making you so upset!"

George's mouth parted, his expression falling for a second before he smiled at Bad, "I appreciate that Bad, but it's not your fault. I don't mind sharing things about myself it's just...I felt really embarrassed when you and Dream questioned me."

Dream jolted, feeling a pang in his chest. So it wasn't only Bad's questions but Dream's that had upset him earlier? Dream felt his shoulders slump. Bad looked ready to tear up, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about George. You can't help things that happened just like Dream and I can't. Just tell me whenever you're uncomfortable with my questions, okay?"

"Okay Bad," George huffed out a laugh and Dream noticed that he relaxed slightly, "I'm sorry for making you worry...I'm okay now."

"Really? And you aren't upset with me, right?" Bad questioned frantically and George's expression softened as he nodded seriously. After that Bad relaxed, sighing in relief. George glanced over at Dream then and Dream didn't realize he was staring at George until their eyes met.

"You okay Dream?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Dream muttered as he looked away, "I just didn't realize I upset you too."

"You _didn't_ upset me....I was just kind of embarrassed and ashamed," George sighed, looking off the side, "My life is so different from yours and it made me feel stupid when I realized I don't know about things like you and Bad do. It made me feel like a child."

Dream felt despair and he was reaching out to touch George before he thought about it, "Aww, George. I'm sorry. It's okay...I'm really sorry."

"It's not your fault," George laughed with a little bit of amusement as he faced Dream then. Dream blinked, a little surprised by the reaction, "You guys worry too much. I wasn't upset with _you guys_...just myself, okay? Both of you stop apologizing."

"Okay," Bad gigged, watching them with a different type of amusement.

Dream rolled his eyes and leaned away from George. He felt a ton better knowing George wasn't upset anymore though.

* * *

They sat around their small fire for a couple of hours to let their clothes dry some before the fire died out. After throwing their clothes back on and shrugging on their packs, they began to make themselves torches so they could see in the cave better. Dream was pleasantly surprised to find that the cave did descend a bit and was fairly large.

Since Dream and Bad were the only one with pickaxes, they started mining first. George helped them by carrying items and organizing the coal and iron ores they mined while also helping by holding torches so the two could see better. Eventually they went a bit further down and encountered a couple of zombies but Dream easily killed them before Bad or George could even grab their weapons.

Then after an hour of searching for more iron, George saw Bad was sweating and his legs seemed to almost shake, "Bad you should take a break. I haven't mined yet so I can take your pickaxe and swap with you."

Bad smiled gratefully as he handed the pickaxe over and sat heavily on the stone floor a couple of yards away from them, "Thanks George. Guess I'm not built for this, huh?"

"There's nothing wrong with that," George chuckled as he glanced to where Dream was off with a torch, peering into the darkness, "Yell if you need us we won't go far."

"Okay," Bad nodded, leaning back. George gave him one last look to make sure he was okay before he walked towards Dream. As he neared him, Dream turned his head and smiled at George.

"Is Bad okay?"

"He just needs a few minutes to catch his breath," George grinned and Dream nodded, glancing over at Bad. George felt warm at Dream's barely concealed concern for Bad. He admired how much Dream cared about his friends. There was something about Dream that made you feel cared for, "Find anymore signs of iron?"

"No, just more coal so far," Dream huffed as he gestured to the left. George squinted, bringing his torch out and saw that there was a small vein of coal, "I think we're good on coal. If we get anymore then we won't have room left for anything else."

"True. We managed to get more iron and so far we have enough for at least one set of armor I think," George grumbled as he stared off in thought, "Though I'm no blacksmith..."

"It's enough for one set," Dream laughed, "We just need enough for two more. It's quite a lot of iron ore to be carrying but it'll be worth it once we find a village to smelt it at."

George blinked as a sudden thought came to him. He turned to face Dream, staring at his mask, "Do you know how to make armor?"

"Well, I've made myself armor in the past. I'm no blacksmith and it was hardly great quality..." Dream trailed off and if George didn't know any better he'd think Dream was a little embarrassed, "But yes...I know how to make armor."

"That's so cool," George blurted, turning pink when Dream grinned at him in a pleased way. He hadn't meant to say that out loud exactly but oh well. He turned away quickly, "Let's find some more iron!"

Dream laughed softly, "Let's..."

They walked a little further, unwilling to leave Bad alone too long, and they both sighed when they noticed it went deeper but split into two parts. Dream frowned and looked at George seriously, "Let's get Bad and decide which way we should go."

"What if we get lost though?" George fretted as he stared at the two options, "We're getting deeper in. I don't want to lose our way."

"That's true," Dream said and he tsked. They both turned sharply when they heard a noise but the light they saw made them realize it was just Bad. 

Bad came into view a moment later and visibly relaxed when his eyes landed on the two, "There you guys are. It got quiet and I was a little worried..."

He trailed off when he noticed the two paths descending into the cave. Dream looked back and studied each path, "We were gonna wait till you were with us to choose which way we should go."

"I was just telling Dream that I was worried we might get lost," George added as he frowned, "We might not remember the path out."

"Wait! I have something that can help with that," Bad said cheerfully as his face brightened. Dream and George shared a look. Bad rummaged in his pack for a moment and pulled out a can, "It's white spray paint! We can use it to mark the paths we took!"

"Nice Bad!" Dream beamed and George laughed brightly, "And it's a color that George can see easily!"

George stopped laughing to look at Dream in surprise. Dream was still beaming at Bad but something about the way he said that, like he considered George _immediately_ , made George feel warm all over. Bad just laughed and nodded as he gave the can an experimental shake and proceeded to carefully spray an arrow behind them to mark the way they came.

"Alright," Dream grinned after Bad was done, "I say we go down the left."

"Why the left?" George asked curiously, studying Dream. He rolled his eyes when Dream just shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter," Bad said slowly as he studied both paths, "You can't tell which is better by just looking. Let's just go left."

"Okay," George shrugged himself. Bad had a point after all. George moved his torch out a little bit to make sure he could see around him considerably as they all moved carefully down to the left with Dream in front of them.

They descended in the left tunnel without any problems and Dream gasped, "I think I see some gold ores!"

"Really?!" Bad and George exclaimed simultaneously before looking at each other in shock. Dream wheezed, nodding his head. Dream led them to where he saw the gold ores and sure enough, George saw them too. He glanced around warily but didn't see any hidden mobs. Dream immediately went to mining the ores and George felt brave enough to look around a bit.

He walked a little further away, but not too far that Dream or Bad couldn't see him, and saw something in the wall. He squinted before he realized what it was. George slowly beamed, "Oh my God, I found more iron!"

"Seriously?!" Bad gasped, his voice squeaking slightly and Dream laughed. George laughed as well, gasping through it, "Our luck might be changing!"

George silently agreed as he cheerfully pulled Bad's pickaxe and started mining as carefully as he could. The process took longer than it took Dream, but after several long minutes, he finished mining the heavy ores. Dream helped him distribute the ores in each of their packs. They'd been doing that so they could equally distribute the weight and one person wouldn't have to carry a heavy pack.

After a couple more minutes of moving on and searching Bad paused, "Is it just me or does it feel warmer?"

"Now that you mention it I haven't been feeling chilly anymore," George reported with an eyebrow raised. Dream just shrugged it off and George decided that it was probably normal since Dream wasn't worried about it.

They descended a little further before the path was cut off into three sections this time. Dream recommended that just going down in the center path would be easiest and Bad kept marking with his paint as they descended. George noted that, for some reason, Dream was becoming more tense they further down they went.

"Are you okay?" George asked him and Dream looked at him for one long moment before he shrugged.

"Haven't you noticed a lack of mobs? Mobs thrive in the dark yet we've only come across a few zombies," Dream muttered. Bad froze and George stiffened, he hadn't even bothered to think about that, "I just think that's weird is all. They're probably gathered further down so..."

"We should be careful," Bad said grimly, narrowing his eyes in front of them. Dream nodded. The atmosphere became tense as they continued on and George made even more of an effort to study his surroundings, determined not to let any mobs surprise them. Skeletons seemed to be the craftiest at surprise attacks.

It was about twenty minutes later when they found more iron. Dream brightened considerably and began to mine while George stuck close to him, watching the shadows. He felt increasingly paranoid the longer they were in the cave but they almost had enough iron now and they still needed some diamonds to make a pickaxe. Obsidian could only be mined with a diamond pickaxe after all.

"With this we should have enough for three sets of armor," Bad cheered as he stuffed what Dream handed him in his pack.

"Yeah, if not then we can trade some of our food for emeralds and buy more armor if it's not enough," Dream grinned as he looked at Bad, "Let's look for some diamonds for a bit. I don't know how else we could easily get obsidian..."

George smiled at the happy looks on his friends as he watched them but the smile fell from his face when, as he took several steps down ahead of them, the ground felt just a tad warmer under his feet. Dream and Bad were following him absentmindedly and George noticed the gravel they were coming up on.

Increasing warmth...gravel...lava? George's eyes widened and he gasped, launching himself at his two friends, "Wait!"

They both startled but stepped onto the gravel. It immediately began to give out and George watched with horror as his friends began to fall with the gravel. He jumped towards them and threw his hands out, grabbing onto Bad and Dream's hands immediately as they instinctively flailed their arms out to grab onto something.

The gravel continued to fall until it hit dark bubbling lava several feet down below them. The heat from the lava began to feel more real now that the gravel was gone and George's arms trembled as he held onto his friends. Dream's eyes widened as he stared down below, "How did I not realize...?

"Just...help me out here guys," George gasped out, struggling to pull them up. 

"Wait...just pull a little harder George I almost have the ledge!" Bad cried out as he struggled to reach upwards. George huffed, inhaling deeply but pulling as hard as he could. Bad grabbed onto the ledge and began pulling himself up. George was able to use his free hand to help Dream do the same.

As soon as they were both safe on the ground, George fell back and put a hand on his chest. He felt his heart racing and tried to breathe in deeply. Dream was panting for breath too but he didn't seem nearly as panicked as he should have been. Instead he looked worried for _George_. This made him want to laugh hysterically, "I'm sorry George...I wasn't paying enough attention. I should have noticed we were getting closer to a lava pool."

"Me too...you really saved us there George," Bad laughed nervously and stood on shaking legs, "We should continue but avoid going too far down. I've heard that diamonds are commonly found close to lava."

"Right but please be careful and watch for gravel or anything that could give way if you step on it," George cautioned quietly, his heart finally calming down, "I don't think I can handle that happening again. We were lucky."

"Yeah," Dream trailed off as he stood and brushed his fingers together before grinning at George, "Lucky we have _you_."

George blushed, frowning at Dream, "Stoppp..."

Dream laughed, wheezing slightly as he came closer to George and stuck his hand out to help him up. George stared at him for a second before taking his hand. Dream helped him up slowly and George noticed Dream staring at him again, "Thanks George..."

"No problem. Someone has to save your sorry butt apparently," George joked and Dream laughed again. George was left wondering what his face looked like behind the mask when he laughed.

Bad cleared his throat and both boys looked over at him. He was smirking at them for some reason and George lifted an eyebrow at him. There was some knowing look in his eyes and it honestly confused him. Why was Bad looking at them like that? He blinked out of his thoughts when Dream moved away and he went to follow.

"Let's keep going," Dream said seriously as he eyed the tunnel, "Watch your step though."

* * *

They only dared to go a little deeper and to their surprise, there were more mobs. There were never more than 3 at a time and that made them easier to fight. It was mostly zombies and there was an occasional skeleton or spider. The first time they came across a spider, Dream watched George _freak out_ and he could help but wheeze the entire time Bad killed the spider.

"Stop laughing at me Dream," George complained, his accent thick as he talked, "I don't see spiders very often!"

" _Obviously_ ," Dream cried, hugging himself as he laughed and wheezed. George rolled his eyes at him, pouting in such a cute way that made Dream's cheeks feel a little warm, "I'm _sorry_ George but that scream you did sounded so hilarious I'm gonna be laughing about it for _days!_ "

George actually growled at him in embarrassment and Dream laughed harder. Bad was shaking his head at them good-naturedly, his expression one of amusement. Dream found that George's screams were just as amusing as his blushes. He liked when George screamed. 

"Ugh, whatever," George groaned as Dream kept laughing, "We need to be finding some stupid diamonds!"

"Diamonds are pretty hard to find," Bad sighed before smiling slightly, "But maybe we'll get lucky soon. Let's try down here!"

Dream made himself stop wheezing to look at where Bad was pointing. It was down the left a bit. There were running out of options and, honestly, Dream was feeling a bit tired. He could tell George and Bad were too. It was the afternoon when they found the cave so he knew it was probably dark outside now.

"You're right, Bad," Dream said, "Let's just keep going. We have to turn around soon or risk sleeping down here."

"I'm not sleeping down here," George said immediately and Dream could tell he was actually spooked by the idea. His eyes were wide. Dream smiled softly at him.

"We won't," He murmured in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. George glanced at him and smiled slightly. They didn't say anything else after that and followed Bad down the path after he'd marked it. Dream studied the wall with his torch intently. He was beginning to feel impatient again.

They were so close to having what they needed. They had plenty of coal and enough iron to be smelted, but how in the world were they supposed to get obsidian to make a nether portal if they had no diamond pickaxe to mine obsidian with? The whole thing was starting to give him a headache.

"Wait a minute," George trailed off and Dream whirled around to looked at him immediately. Bad froze and turned to him expectantly as well, "Do you guys see that?"

They looked to where he was looking and Dream saw it. There was something bluish tucked into the upper corner of the path. Dream inhaled sharply and ran forward, startling them. He moved the torch closer and, to his delight, he noticed the ores were aqua in color, "Oh my God. It's diamonds!"

"What?!" Bad cried in shock. George gasped, stunned. Dream turned to him with an amused smirk.

"How do you keep finding things? Aren't you supposed to be colorblind?" He teased and George blinked at him before rolling his eyes and grinning.

"So what? I wasn't sure it was diamonds I just saw some color," George explained as his expression morphed into awe, "I can't believe we found some!"

Dream immediately got his pick out and carefully began mining, "Hopefully its enough for a pickaxe!"

"Here I'll hold my torch closer so you can see better and not miss a thing!" Bad cheered as he moved closer. George and Dream laughed at that.

A few minutes passed as Dream mined and his arms felt like they might start shaking soon from all the mining he'd done. Just as he finished and leaned back, he caught some movement to his right. Bad immediately noticed the change in his expression and stiffened. Dream quickly stuffed the diamonds in his pack before withdrawing his sword.

"There's something?" George whispered quietly as he drew his own weapon, looking from Dream to the shadows wearily. Dream nodded instead of verbally replying and all three of them froze when they heard some rattling. The telltale signs of a skeleton.

A second after that, an arrow shot right past Dream and Bad. The three were immediately ducking and Dream threw his torch forward with just enough strength so they could see further ahead and the skeleton was lit into view instantly.

Dream jumped as soon as he caught sign of the skeleton. It was arming another arrow but Dream ducked when he shot it and quickly slammed the skeleton down and smashed his skull with his foot.

"Dream, behind you!" George shouted and Dream whirled around to see a couple of zombies coming towards him, letting out groans. Dream cursed under his breath. How did he not hear them before?

Another arrow whizzed past him but this time it hit a zombie right in the eye. It fell over dead in an instant. Dream flashed Bad a look of gratitude before he rushed to take care of the other one. George was running after him with his own sword drawn. Another zombie came out of the dark and while Dream was finishing his opponent he grinned when George leapt in front of him and swung his sword in a wide arch, slicing the last zombie's head clean off.

"Nicely done," Dream complimented feeling proud and the pleased blush that graced George's face nearly bewitched him. 

"Those skeletons sure are annoying," Bad sighed behind them and they turned around to face him. He looked at them with a tiny smile and crossed his arms once he reached them "At least we found some diamonds. We should probably leave since our packs are kinda full and heavy with these ores."

"Yeah," Dream nodded, feeling incredibly tired now.

They went to move the way they came until they suddenly heard a hissing sound. Dream and George whirled around to look behind them and George paled at the sight of a familiar yellowish creeper. Dream yanked George towards him but they didn't have enough time to run far enough away.

The creeper blew up and the intense blast blew them back. Dream hissed in pain at the burns he could already feel and he hit the ground on his shoulder hard enough to leave a bruise. To his horror, the ground under him crumbled in the same second he hit the ground and he fell through with a shout.

* * *

Dream awoke with a sharp gasp that immediately made him cough. His throat felt so dry. He hissed in pain at the throbbing his felt in shoulder and legs. For a moment he was disoriented. He sat up slowly and brushed off the dirt, dust, and slight debris off his body before he remembered what exactly happened.

A creeper snuck up on them when their backs were turned. It exploded and he fell through the floor. Dream shot up on his feet and groaned at the throbbing that caused, but he ignored that to study his surroundings. His pack was still on his back and his torch had fallen a few yards away from him, lighting up the area. There was debris everywhere and when he looked up, he could see the massive hole the creeper's explosion created.

"George?! Bad?!" Dream called out and bit back a cough he felt coming. He winced as he walked forward and grabbed his torch, looking around frantically for his two friends. The size of that hole above him told him that his friends had to have fallen with him. 

He walked around a big pile of debris and Dream froze at the sight that greeted him. George was lying awkwardly on the floor, his limbs sprawled out and his chin lying against his chest in an awkward angle. There was blood on the stone wall behind his head. Dream choked, " _George!"_

Dream launched himself towards George and knelt by his side, placing the torch down close enough to where he could see. George's skin looked pale and Dream gently picked him up to lay him flat on the floor. He felt absolutely panicked at the sight of fresh blood on the back of George's head. At some point while he was falling George must have hit his head pretty hard.

"George? George!" Dream called out desperately, shaking him slightly. His hands began shaking. What was he supposed to do? Dream shrugged off his pack and hurriedly turned George over on his stomach, being mindful of his head and neck. His breath hitched at the blood matting George's brown hair. He knew that head wounds tended to bleed a lot but...

Dream noticed briefly that George still had his pack on him and carefully pulled it off the smaller male before rummaging inside it for George's pile of wool bandages. He carefully inspected the back of George's head, pressing down with his fingers where he dared and George let out a pained groan. Dream's heart flipped in his chest but his fingers eventually found the tear in George's scalp that was the cause of all the blood. He didn't think it needed stitches.

"Bad?" Dream called out, trying to swallow back his panic. He hadn't heard from their other friend and hoped that he wasn't in the same situation as George was. Dream pressed a heavy wool bandage on George's head wound and carefully wrapped another longer bandage around his head to keep it in place. That would have to do for now to stop the bleeding and keep it from getting dirty.

George groaned again but this time louder and he shifted. Dream froze and carefully turned George over on his back, "George? Can you hear me? Are you awake?"

It took a moment but George's fae scrunched up and his eyes opened a tad. Dream felt a little relieved that George was no longer unconscious, "Don't make sudden movements George. You banged your head up really good."

Dream watched George's eyes open a little wider but they were slightly glazed and George looked _so_ confused for moment as he stared back up at Dream, "....who are you?"

A rock dropped into Dream's stomach, "What do you mean, Georgie? It's Dream."

George's eyes cleared a little but Dream winced when he noticed George's pupils weren't reacting like they should. He must have a pretty bad concussion, not that that's surprising, "Dream...? But your mask isn't..."

Dream's eyes widened when he realized why George was so confused. Dream placed a hand on his face immediately and was shocked that he didn't notice he'd lost his mask earlier. He was so wrapped up in his panic that he didn't even realize he wasn't wearing his mask anymore. He looked down at George in shock and George's face was blank as he studied him.

A wave of self-consciousness hit him but he forced himself to ignore that and helped George sit up. George hissed in pain and moved slowly before he stopped altogether, "I...I feel sick can we stop for a second?"

A little alarmed, Dream nodded quickly and helped George lay his head down on Dream's thigh instead of sitting up. George sighed shakily and Dream frowned worriedly at him, "Are you okay, George?"

"I-I think so. Sorry, I just need a minute," George swallows heavily and Dream smiled as he gently moved his fingers through George's hair.

"Don't be sorry. It's okay," Dream said softly and George sighed again in relief.

"Are you okay, Dream?" George asked as he glanced up at him without moving his head to much. Dream smiled genuinely as a rush of affection washed over him. George was in a lot of pain and he was asking if _Dream_ felt alright? What was he gonna do with this guy?

"I'm okay...I think we all got burned a little and I'm definitely bruised but otherwise okay," Dream explained and George smiled, "I haven't seen Bad yet. There was so much debris everywhere."

George's smile fell and he looked worried, "M-Maybe he's okay..."

"We'll get up as soon as you think you can handle it," Dream assured and George stared at him. After a moment passed and George was still staring at him, Dream felt himself blush, "What...? Do you think I'm that horrible looking?"

He'd said it as a joke but his voice sounded off with nervousness and he hoped George was too concussed to tell. He blinked when George flashed him a dopey smile, " _You're so pretty._ "

P-Pretty? George thought he was pretty?! Dream laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed but dared not let it show, "Not as pretty as you Georgie!"

George flushed a red color that made Dream feel warm and he grinned, "You're probably not gonna remember anything when you get better anyways."

"Huh?" George asked stupidly. Dream was about to answer when he heard something in the distance. He was went to grab his sword when the noise became more distinct.

"DREAM! GEORGE! Someone please answer me!"

Dream's heart leapt into his throat in joy at hearing Bad's voice.

"Bad! Over _here_!!" Dream called loudly and George winced. Dream rubbed his thumb on George's cheek, "Sorry, George."

"Dream!" Bad exclaimed and the voice came closer. Bad practically ran around the corner that Dream came from initially and gasped when he saw them sitting here, "Oh my God are you guys _okay_?! What happened?!"

"I'm okay but George banged his head pretty bad," Dream frowned. Bad paled as he knelt and checked George over frantically, "There's a cut on the back of his head but I don't think it needs stitches. I already bandaged it."

"He definitely has a concussion," Bad bit his lip as he looked into George's eyes.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," George said heavily and Bad blinked in surprise but he smiled in relief to hear George talking. 

"How are you feeling now George?" Dream questioned as he raised an eyebrow at him. George stared at Dream again and smiled for some reason.

"I'm just _amazing,_ " He grinned and Dream laughed, shaking his head.

"He's definitely concussed," Dream teased and he frowned when he saw Bad studying him. It hit him again that he wasn't wearing his mask. He quickly looked away.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," Bad said gently and Dream peeked at him. He gasped when Bad pulled Dream's mask out of his pack, "I found this in the debris when I was looking for you two. I panicked when I saw it and not _you_."

"Thanks," Dream sighed heavily in relief as he took his mask and looked it over. There was scuff marks on it but it wasn't broken or even cracked. He immediately strapped it back on his face and felt his whole body relax. When he looked down, he jolted when he saw George pouting at him.

"Noo, I want to see you more. Your pretty face!" He complained and Bad burst out laughing. Dream flushed but laughed happily.

"Whatever you say Georgie," Dream teased before he looked at Bad, "Let's get out of here. I'll carry George on my back if you can carry my pack for me?"

"Sure," Bad beamed as Dream handed over his pack to him. Dream carefully helped George sit up and put George's pack back on his shoulders.

"Alright George, wrap your arms around my neck," Dream ordered and George blinked those glazed eyes at him hazily before he did as he was told. Dream felt his heart race as George shuffled closer to him and squeezed his neck, "Don't choke me, George, jeez."

The little giggle George let out sent heat straight through him. God, George was going to kill him at this rate. He was so glad to have the mask back on his face to at least save him some embarrassment. He stood slowly and laughed when George squeaked in fear and wrapped his legs around Dream's waist. Dream tried not to focus on that.

"Hold on tight, okay? I need both my hands to climb outta here," Dream explained as he looked right into George's face. 

"Okay," George said hesitantly. Dream shared a look with Bad.

"I'm good. I can climb out of here after you do," Bad smiled and Dream smiled back, briefly checking the other over since he didn't do that earlier. Bad seemed a bit scratched up here and there but nothing alarming stood out to him.

Dream drew his attention to the stone wall and began climbing up the debris to get as high as he could. After that it was a bit easier but a slow process to climb up to where they were before. Once he grabbed the ledge he huffed with effort as he pulled him and George up. He immediately scooted them both a safe distance away so Bad could climb up.

"You still good George?" Dream asked as he glanced at the smaller male. He was still pale and his face was creased with pain.

"My head really hurts Dream..." George whispered as he shoved his face in Dream's shoulder. Dream winced and then felt his heart ache at George's words.

"It'll be okay, George," Dream soothed as he rubbed gentle circles on top of George's head. At that moment he saw Bad carefully climb up to join them and sighed in relief. They were out. He carefully stood again.

"Let's get the _hell_ out of here," Dream scowled. Bad shot him a look.

"Language!"

* * *

They were completely out of the cave almost forty minutes later thanks to the markings Bad left. Dream started their campfire as Bad took a look at George's head wound. Bad surprised Dream by wiping some tree sap onto George's wound that he'd gotten from one of the trees around the. Bad claimed it helped with swelling and can stop the wound from bleeding or becoming infected. He rewrapped George's wound and by then, Dream had the fire going and some fish cooking.

Dream laid against a spruce tree with George's head in his lap after they ate. George barely ate any of his fish but Bad didn't seem worried about that, "He might end up vomiting and that's normal for this type of head wound."

"I'm gonna try to get some sleep since you are obviously not sleeping anytime soon," Bad teased and Dream rolled his eyes but didn't feel offended at all, "It's important that you try to keep George awake as long as you can. Just in case."

"I'm right _here_ ," George complained but his voice still sounded a bit off. His eyes had cleared up some though and Dream felt relieved to know George wasn't so out of it anymore.

"I'll do my best. Goodnight Bad," Dream grinned. Bad chuckled as he laid out his bed roll and scooted inside. Dream glanced down and watched George for a second, "Still feeling nauseous, Georgie?"

"A little," George admitted as he curled into himself more, "Sorry for using your leg...it just feels better than laying anywhere else right now."

Dream put his hand on George's head, smiling down at him, "You're not bothering me, George."

It was quiet for a few minutes but it wasn't awkward. It finally felt peaceful. Dream kept glancing down at George to make sure he wasn't falling asleep. Bad was already out like a light and his gentle snores could be heard against the stark silence. Dream watched as George shuffled around a bit and looked up at him.

"Dream can I ask you something?" George asked quietly, almost like a whisper. There was something about his expression that worried Dream a little but he nodded, smiling reassuringly. George stared at him, "Earlier today when Bad asked us about love...you looked really sad and its been bothering me. What happened to that person you were in love with?"

Dream couldn't help his physical reaction. He gasped slightly and cringed. There was a pang in his chest. He frowned and swallowed down intense emotions that memories brought forth. When Dream glanced down at George, his eyes widened to see George looked upset, "I was 15 and there was this girl...her name was Sam."

Dream shivered, feeling fresh betrayal and anger. George frowned, something flashing in his eyes, "She was one of the prettiest girls in the village and I had a crush on her. I was always doing stupid things to impress her. When she asked me out I was so happy and felt incredibly lucky she chose _me._ I couldn't understand why Sapnap didn't like her though."

"Sapnap didn't like her...?" George asked quietly, his face almost blank. Dream nodded.

"We fought about it once," Dream admitted as George's eyes widened, "He said that he thought Sam was shallow and selfish and I didn't understand how he saw that in her. Sapnap said Sam was dating me because I was well-liked by everyone in the village and due to my looks. I didn't believe him."

"What happened Dream?" George questioned as he stared directly into Dream's eyes. Dream gulped.

"We went out for a few months and I thought things were great but she started getting really weird. She was possessive of the time I spent with her. She didn't like when I spent time with Sapnap and that struck a cord with me. She began to try and guilt-trip me that I didn't care about her because I didn't listen to her...crap like that..."

"Wow," George wrinkled his nose and Dream laughed slightly, there was something cute about the way George wrinkled his nose. He did that sometimes when he laughed too.

"It was something I thought we could work out though," Dream shrugged before sighing, "Then one day this wandering traveler came and was staying in our village for a few days. Apparently during that time, I'm not even sure how they met, Sam cheated on me with him."

"She cheated on you?" George asked as he blanched and Dream felt his heart skip a beat when George looked pissed. Like really angry. Dream blinked at him.

"Uh...yeah. I walked in on them kissing. When I confronted her she was very cruel about it. She said I couldn't give her the life she wanted so she was leaving with him. She said he was more attractive than me and would put her first," Dream sighed again, heavily this time. George frowned sadly, "It really hurt at the time. She left with him the next day and Sapnap was really good to me about it. He never once mentioned an I told you so."

"He's a good friend," George replied and then he scowled, "I really wish I could have grown up with you and Sapnap. I never would have let her get away with treating you like that Dream."

Dream felt his heart swell and he smiled warmly at George, "Oh really? You'd have stuck up for me, Georgie~?"

"I would _never_ have let her hurt you like that," George affirmed, his eyes shining with emotion, "You didn't deserve that Dream."

"George..." Dream trailed off, feeling himself choke on emotions he felt. He swallowed heavily, staring back into George's eyes, "Thank you...I love you..."

Dream wasn't sure if George heard him because George started scowling again, "I don't like hearing about her Dream."

"Okay George," Dream laughed happily, "You asked though."

"Yeah but I don't like it," George insisted in a daze and Dream laughed again, rubbing his fingers through George's hair, "You seem like you really loved her and she was so cruel to you. I hate her."

"Well I _thought_ I loved her," Dream shrugged as he stared at George, "Thinking back on it now, I didn't care about her the way you _should_ care about someone you love."

"Really?" George rose an eyebrow, looking dazed and confused. Dream grinned at him, "Well okay I guess..."

Dream watched George stare off in thought and smiled down at him. He felt like he had an epiphany at his own words. When he was 15 he thought he knew what love was when he was with Sam but back then he didn't care about Sam the way he cares about George now. He didn't feel the insane need to make her happy and keep her safe. Sam never made him feel cared about the way George did. Sam never actually made him feel happy. They fought most of their relationship.

Dream stared at George. He thought back on how he liked making George blush and the reactions he got out of George. Dream thought George was _really_ cute and he knew you wouldn't have these types of thoughts for a friend...he didn't feel that way with Bad or Sapnap. He wasn't dumb, he knew what it meant.

He was falling in love with George. A real and lasting type of love that he _thought_ he'd felt at 15.

And there was only one problem with that. George was just barely learning what it meant to have a _friend_. He wouldn't know how to handle someone approaching him romantically. Dream would scare George away, possibly for good. There was no way in hell that was happening.

Dream could and _would_ reign in his growing feelings until he could be sure George would accept him that way. Losing George wasn't an option.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is supposed to be a slow burn (meaning they reach romance level at a realistic pace) but this is my first time writing a slow burn. I figured it made sense for Dream to realize his feelings first due to having a relationship and certain type of feelings before.
> 
> George on the other hand has been isolated since childhood and didn't even really have a friend so it makes sense, to me anyways, that he's dense about these things. 
> 
> Does that make sense? Let me know what you think. Was Dream's realization about his feelings realistic or out of nowhere? I'm all for improving!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad, George, and Dream finally find another village only it's not what they expect. George struggles with the aftermath of remembering Dream's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you are all doing well! I'm so happy to see so many kudos and bookmarks for the story, thank you so much! 🥺
> 
> Also special thanks to sgibs and Kasiwi for commenting feedback and easing my worries about my slow burn progress! All you that are commenting are amazing! 💕💞💖

There were two things George noticed when he woke up. One being that there was a dull pounding ache in his tender head and another being that he was staring directly into the piss yellow color of his friend's hoodie. George blinked, unable to remember how he got in the position he was in now. His face was almost pressed into Dream's chest and his friend's arms were wrapped around him in a lazy hug. Their legs also seemed to be tangled together.

  
He looked up hesitantly and saw the smiley-faced mask his friend always wore; seeing it brought back a flash of memory. Dream calling his name in a panicked tone. George opening his eyes to see a stranger, a man with flattering features, hovering over him. The man had an angular jawline and a nose that looked like it'd been broken once. The man's lips were full enough without being too plump and he had a small galaxy of freckles forming a bridge from the top of his cheeks and over his nose.

  
He was the prettiest person George had seen. It wasn't until the man started talking and flashed concern in his darkish yellow eyes that George realized it was Dream. 

  
Oh my God it was _Dream_! George flushed hotly as he blinked out of his thoughts and stared at the mask. His head pounded and ached. He cringed, biting back a groan. He thought back to what else he remembered. It all seemed so vague. 

  
George remembered that they were in the cave and got surprised by a creeper. He'd hit his head at one point then he was helped by a maskless Dream. Things got a fuzzy after that. He distantly remembered talking with Dream about his ex-lover, Sam.

  
He scowled, thinking back on the sad expression that formed on Dream's face when he talked about her. George had been curious but the longer Dream talked about his ex-lover the worse he felt. 

  
"George...?"

  
George gasped lightly, turning his head slowly to see Bad squatting next to their campfire. There was something sizzling on the fire and it smelled like pork, "Bad..."

  
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Bad asked quietly, his eyes flicking to Dream. George glanced at Dream as well and relaxed when he realized Dream wasn't awake yet.

  
"My head is pounding," George sighed, shifting a bit. Dream's arms tightened around him in response and he glanced at Dream's masked face again wondering why such a small action made him feel kind of giddy.

  
"That's normal...do you feel nauseous or lightheaded at all?" Bad questioned worriedly and George looked at him with a small smile, mentally shaking himself for his thoughts.

  
"No to both," He replied and watched in amusement as Bad sighed in relief.

  
"You really worried us...Dream especially," Bad smiled as they both looked at the taller male again, "He kept watch over you most of the night...he panicked when you passed out on him."

  
"I...what?" George tilted in his head in confusion. 

  
"He woke me up _freaking out_ because you passed out on him at one point last night," Bad laughed quietly, "I told him to keep you awake as long as possible and I guess he panicked when you passed out. I had to calm him down."

  
"I don't remember passing out," George commented but smiled at what he was told, "Dream is a worrywort...you _both_ are."

  
"Rightfully so! Head injuries are no joke George," Bad frowned and George went silent, "I'm checking it as soon as you're able to escape Dream's octopus grasp."

  
George couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of him at that and Dream shifted, causing him to bite back his laugh. If Dream was up with him most of the night then George wanted to let Dream sleep as long as possible. However, he couldn't just lay in his friend's arms that long no matter how comfortable and warm he was.

  
"The pork chops are almost ready and I'm cutting us up some apples to eat with it," Bad spoke up and George looked at him curiously, "I hope you don't mind I took some of your apples though."

  
"They're for _everyone_ Bad," George replied softly in amusement. He began to try and wiggle out of Dream's hold. It took a solid two minutes before George was able to worm his way out of Dream's grip. Bad laughed at him behind his hand the whole time, "Stop laughing, Bad. You were no help!"

  
"What was I supposed to do?" Bad grinned, his eye twinkling with amusement, "You guys are so cute."

  
George rolled his eyes and stood from the ground slowly. The ache in his head increased a little, making him pause and cringe until it settled down to a duller ache.

  
"Here," Bad said as he handed out some cut apple, "Eat this while I look at your wound."

  
"Fine," George sighed, walking over to carefully sit crisscross in front of Bad. He began munching on the apple slices Bad cut for him while Bad unwound the bandage around his head. A thought occurred to him, "Hey, you guys are okay, right? From the creeper explosion I mean..."

  
"Yeah!" Bad cheered quietly, "We all had some minor burns to the back of our legs. I was okay because I was the furthest away. Dream banged up his shoulder and its bruised pretty bad but he's okay too."

  
George let out a relieved sigh as his chocolate brown eyes flicked to Dream, "That's good...did anything else happen after that? My memory is kind of fuzzy."

  
Bad hummed, sounding slightly concerned, "Nothing really. Dream carried you out and we made camp right here. Then after that I went to sleep first since Dream was supposed to keep you up as long as he could."

  
George hissed when Bad accidentally touched a tender part of his head, "Sorry George. I was just making sure the wound was scabbing over."

  
"It's okay..." George trailed off, finishing the apple slices. Bad rewrapped a clean wool bandage around George's head before he leaned back to check the pork on their campfire.

  
Things were silently peaceful up until they heard Dream groan. George almost whipped his head around at the noise and gasped from the pain that caused. Dream moved one of his arms, patting his hand at the empty space by his side for only a second before he pushed himself up quickly, " _George?_ "

  
George bit back a grin at the sleepy panic on Dream's face, "Over here, Dream."

  
Dream's eyes immediately landed on George and he watched Dream relax. The taller male instantly scrambled up to sit by George and was staring at him, "How are you feeling? Is your head okay? Do you feel sick?"

  
"Jeez, I'm okay Dream," George laughed lightly, feeling oddly happy. He laughed again when he saw the wide smile of amusement on Bad's face as the other male made no attempt to hide it, "My head still kinda hurts but I don't feel sick anymore."

  
"That's good," Dream sighed in relief before he paused and looked over at George again, "What do you remember from last night?"

  
"Almost everything," George shrugged and lifted a brow when Dream tensed, "What?"

  
"Nothing..." Dream trailed off, oddly nervous. He was fidgeting with his fingers anxiously and pulling at the hem of his hoodie a little. George blinked at him.

  
"Are you worried that I saw you without your mask on?" George blurted in a blunt tone. He then blushed at what he asked. Dream's mouth parted and he glanced at George in shock.

  
"So you remember that?" Dream asked in a hesitant tone.

  
"Yeah and I think I remember my embarrassing moments," George groaned hiding his face with his hands, "I think I called you pretty at one point and oh my _God_."

  
Dream laughed, sounding much more relieved now and it made George smile. Bad joined in on the laughter and spoke up, "You pouted so much when Dream put the mask back on because you wanted to look at him."

  
"Ugh, stop, no I didn't," George groaned, protesting. Dream began wheezing and although George did feel embarrassed about what he remembered he was just glad that Dream wasn't nervous anymore.

  
"Anyways," Bad chuckled before gesturing to their campfire, "The pork chops should be finished. Let's dig in!"

  
Bad distributed the food and while they ate, George kept glancing at Dream. Memories of Dream's face kept flashing to his mind and it made him oddly nervous. He paused when Dream turned to look at George and George blushed when their eyes met. He quickly looked away, missing Dream's smile.

  
"We should get a head start and try to find a village today," Bad suddenly said and George flicked his eyes to him. Bad was just finishing his meal but also looking at Dream's map, "Surely we can't be too far from one."

  
"Let's hope not," Dream grinned, "It'll be hard to carry all this weight for days at a time."

  
The reminder of what Bad said about Dream's shoulder suddenly came to mind and George turned to Dream quickly, "Hey, Bad said you hurt your shoulder. Is it bad? You might not want to carry anything today!"

  
He thought it was something normal to be worried about but Dream looked briefly surprised as he glanced at George before his expression turned warm, making butterflies form in his stomach- _how weird._

  
"Oh, I'm okay. There's a pretty big bruise but I can carry my pack on one shoulder," Dream smiled as he shrugged his good shoulder. Bad nodded so George figured Bad already checked Dream's shoulder.

  
"O-Okay," George stammered, looking away from Dream to stare at the ground. He still felt eyes on him and he knew it had to be Dream.

  
"Are you guys done eating? We should use as much daylight as we can," Bad said seriously as he slowly stood, "Since you're both injured I'm assuming you won't be doing spar practice until you heal, right?"

  
"Yeah that can wait," Dream replied, equally as serious. George tensed when Dream placed a hand on his shoulder, "You'll let us know if you feel sick or your head starts hurting bad, right?"

  
"Uh, yeah I will," George agreed, almost forgetting not to nod. He couldn't quite bring himself to look Dream in the eyes. Dream withdrew his hand and stood.

  
"Then you ready to go Georgie?" Dream asked cheerfully and George smiled, looking at his mask but not quite at his eyes. He imagined Dream's expression behind the mask.

  
"I'm ready," George said softly as he stood slowly and helped Bad put out their campfire while Dream packed up their bed rolls. They packed the rest of their things and eventually they decided to continue heading North.

* * *

Unlike the day before, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. George wished his head wasn't hurting so he could enjoy the nice weather more. For now, his already sensitive eyes felt even more sensitive thanks to his injury. He spent most of the time staring at the ground as they walked to avoid the sun rays.

  
They'd already been walking for almost two hours. All three of them seemed content with the silence that surrounded them. Bad was cheerfully humming as he looked around with a daydreaming look to his green eyes. George noticed an hour ago that Dream had a knife and a bone in his hands; he was carving into the bone with his knife. George had no idea what he was doing.

  
Finally his curiosity got the better of him and he squinted at Dream, "Hey, Dream, what are you doing exactly?"

  
Dream didn't look up from carving into the bone, "I'm making something..."

  
"What are you making?" George tilted his head with interest. He remembered when Dream collected the bones and promptly forgot why he'd done so.

  
"It's a secret Georgie," Dream smirked, glancing at him. George felt himself blush and immediately look away. Why did it seem so much harder to look Dream in the eyes? "How are you feeling?"

  
George rolled his eyes. Dream had been periodically asking him that since they started walking. It was endearing at first but now it was almost annoying, "I'm alright. You don't have to worry."

  
Dream simply hummed under his breath in acknowledgment and returned his attention to what he was doing before. George glanced at Bad, who immediately looked away from them. He blinked. Was Bad just watching them? He does that a lot.

  
It went quiet again and George played with the end of his hoodie sleeves as they walked. At one point he noticed Bad grab a book out of his pack and he actually started reading while walking. How the hell can they do something and walk without watching where they were going?

Apparently he was gaping because Dream started chuckling and when George peeked at him, Dream was staring at him, "What's that face for?"

  
"You...you guys aren't looking where you're going," George explained incredulously and Dream wheezed.

  
"We can multi-task," Dream told him and grinned at him in a teasing way while Bad chuckled once in the background, "Poor clumsy Georgie can't do something and walk at the same time?"

  
"W-What?! I mean...a lot of people can't-" George cut himself off when Bad joined Dream in laughing harder. George's cheeks warmed, "Whatever... _I'll_ be the one laughing when one of you fall."

  
"I won't fall," Dream smirked confidently and George felt his eyebrow twitch in annoyance.

  
"Coming from the guy who almost fell through gravel into a lava pool yesterday," George taunted and Dream's eyes widened as he spluttered.

  
"Well that was...I wasn't paying attention then," Dream pouted and George let out a chuckle. Dream's face brightened a little.

  
"You aren't paying attention _now_ ," George replied in a teasing tone and Dream rolled his eyes.

  
Contradictory to his own words, George didn't notice Bad come to a sudden stop in front of them and face planted into his friend's back. Dream steadied him, looking equally surprised at the sudden stop, "Bad?"

  
"Sorry," Bad apologized as he turned to look at George over his shoulder. He was beaming, "I think I see a village over there!"

  
"Wait, what?!" Dream and George gasped simultaneously. Dream continued as he squinted, "Where?"

  
"I think I see the edges of a couple of houses in that forest there," Bad told them as he pointed to the left a little.

  
They entered another plains biome about forty minutes earlier and as George studied where Bad was pointing, he could see hints of cobblestone sticking out.

  
"Nice Bad!" Dream beamed as he rubbed their friend's head. Bad blinked in surprise at the action before smiling cheerfully. George grinned.

  
"I wasn't holding out hope we'd actually find one today but oh my gosh!" George said in a giddy tone, "Our lucky really _is_ changing."

  
"Give or take a creeper explosion," Dream added teasingly and George laughed.

  
"Skeppy used to tell me that excessive good luck means something bad will happen soon..." Bad trailed off, looking so serious suddenly that Dream and George looked at him incredulously.

  
"I thought you were supposed to be optimistic Bad," Dream snickered loudly and Bad blushed.

  
"I mean- _yeah_...but I was just saying," Bad stammered before rolling his eyes with a sigh, "Let's just go you muffin-heads!"

  
George and Dream laughed after Bad as he began jogging away from them and towards the forest. Dream smiled and grabbed George's hand, lacing their fingers together, "C'mon George!"

  
He gasped when Dream started pulling them along but he found himself unable to verbally answer him. His head swam and his chest felt warm. George peeked at Dream and from the angle he was at he could see the side of Dream's face a little. The warmth from George's chest spread to his face. He quickly looked down at the ground so he wouldn't be caught awkwardly staring at Dream's face.

  
They quickly caught up with Bad and George couldn't help but notice that Dream kept glancing down at him. He kept his eyes trained on the ground in front of them as they walked. George flicked his eyes to their joined hands and wondered why Dream hadn't let go yet. It was actually almost reassuring to be holding Dream's hand but Dream never usually does that for so long.

  
"Watch out for skeletons," Dream spoke and George looked up at him. Dream was smirking as he looked between George and Bad, "Wouldn't want to get snuck up on again."

  
"You say that like _you_ haven't been surprised by them too," George muttered and Dream laughed. George cracked a smile.

  
They were deep in the forest now and Bad seemed to not even hear Dream as he glanced around intently, "I know I saw some cobblestone...it _had_ to have been a house. Wasn't it around here?"

  
"Bad slow down," George huffed in amusement, "We'll find it eventually. We all saw it around this area."

  
"Right..." Bad sighed as he looked at George. His eyes dropped down to where Dream was holding George's hand and George flushed for some reason. Bad quickly looked away. 

  
George peeked up at Dream and startled when his eyes met Dream's. Was he already looking at George? His cheeks flushed further and he glanced down again, wondering why he felt so embarrassed. 

  
"What's wrong George?" Dream asked and George looked back up at him but avoided looking him straight in the eyes.

  
"Nothing..." George answered, feeling almost confused and frustrated with himself. He wasn't sure anything _was_ wrong but it was increasingly hard for him to look Dream in the eye ever since seeing his face for the first time.

  
Dream tilted his head but didn't ask further. He squeezed George's hand in his before letting go. George brought his hands together and started playing with the ends of his sleeves. He could still feel the warmth in his hand from where Dream had been holding it.

  
"Look!" Dream suddenly shouted, making George jump, "I see it! Over there!"

  
Bad and George looked to where he was gesturing and Bad gasped in delight. From here, you could see brief hints of cobblestone and oak planks hidden in the trees, "Yes! Nice!"

  
They both took off with George following them at a more leisurely pace. His head was beginning to throb more so he didn't want to jog or run. He noticed them slow down when they got closer and George lifted an eyebrow, going to Dream's side.

  
"Oh..." George gasped, realizing why they stopped. There was a small home made from cobblestone, oak planks, and oak logs but there were no signs of life anywhere. Webs covered the doorframe, the window panes, and some were tucked in corners of the house.

  
George glanced to the other house and saw it was pretty much in the same condition. He shifted to look behind the houses and saw a path heading further into the forest. From here you could see a fountain with a gold bell and other homes spread out in the forest.

  
"I don't see anyone..." Bad trailed off, his eyes wide as he looked around, "Do you guys?"

  
"No..." George breathed as he also studied their surroundings. It was eerily silent and George shuddered, stepping closer to Dream.

  
"An abandoned village...?" Dream stated, it coming off as a question. Dream was frowning, "Let's look around and see if we can find anyone..."

  
"Alright," George hummed, his eyes flicking to the path near the fountain. While Dream walked into the houses by their side, George and Bad walked down the path. George saw Bad and Dream's hands hovering near their weapons and decided to follow their example.

  
He walked towards the fountain and noted the dust that accumulated on the stone. George glanced around and saw a home to the left of the fountain that had a cobblestone platform with a crafting table, a workbench, two furnaces, and a blast furnace. A blacksmith's home...?

  
"Bad, I'm checking this one out," George turned to look at his friend over his shoulder. Bad looked grim as he stared at the same home George was looking at. He nodded.

  
"Okay, I'll be in that one," Bad told him as he pointed at the house across the way, "Looks like Dream is right...this place is abandoned."

  
George didn't bother answering that. He walked up the cobble stairs and onto the cobblestone platform. Dust and webs covered the furniture and corners. He'd heard of villagers that migrated from their native village for one reason or the other; the biggest reason being that they didn't feel safe in that location anymore.

  
Or...or they were just wiped out. George felt his chest tighten and he frowned. There were no evidence of an attack or pillager raid and there weren't any remains either, thank God.

  
George mentally shook his head from his thoughts and walked into the door adjoining the platform. It was a small home, but quite cozy in George's opinion. There was a cauldron, countertops, and a couch made of wool tucked into one corner. There were two other rooms which seemed small.

  
Upon inspection, George realized that one was a small bedroom with nothing but a white bed, a cobblestone pit, and a double chest while the other was a small bathroom with a toilet, cauldron, and a small shower tucked in a corner.

  
He eyed the lever in the shower and flicked it down cautiously. Water cascaded down and George gasped, jumping slightly. He hesitantly pulled his sleeves up and put his hands under the water spray. He shivered, it was cold...but a shower was a _shower_.

  
"George?"

  
George gasped, jumping for the second time as he whirled around. He groaned from the pain that caused and put a hand to his head. There was a hand on his shoulder then and George opened his eyes to look at Dream.

  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you," Dream murmured as he squeezed George's shoulder before letting go, "Looks like you found a good place here."

  
"The shower works at least," George muttered and Dream snickered softly. Dream reached past George to flick the lever back off and George tried not to blush from the close proximity, "Its cold though."

  
"Thought you'd be used to bathing in cold water by now," Dream teased as he turned to look at him. George scowled at him and Dream chuckled.

  
"Did you find anything?" George changed the subject and Dream sighed, shaking his head.

  
"Molded food and plants," Dream grumbled and George couldn't help but smile, "At least there's a blacksmith station here. We can smelt our ores so that's convenient."

  
"True," George nodded, his eyes lighting up. He hadn't even thought of that but he probably should have, "We should see if Bad found anything."

  
He was just about to move when Dream snatched his wrist, startling him. Dream's eyes widened like he was surprised at what he did too, "Uh, wait, I wanted to ask you something."

  
"What..?" George trailed off, wondering why he felt a tingling of dread deep in his chest. He felt nervous again.

  
"Are you okay? You seem a little off or like....spaced out?" Dream questioned with a struggling expression on his face, "I don't know...I feel like something's bothering you. You can tell me, you know."

  
George's eyes widened at him and he could tell Dream looked truly worried about him again. It made him feel warm but at the same time there was that strange nervousness, "I...I'm okay. I guess I am spaced out, sorry."

  
"But is something bothering you?" Dream asked intently, his eyes pinned on him. 

  
George debated what to say. He didn't even really _know_ what was bothering him and that was the problem. George looked up at Dream, shifting uncomfortably when he noticed Dream staring at his face, "Nothing's really bothering me...other than my head."

  
"Oh..." Dream frowned sadly, "Sorry George...after we make sure this place is safe and cleaned up you'll be able to lay down on one of the beds here."

  
"It's okay," George smiled slightly, "I don't need to lay down."

  
Dream let go his wrist and smiled back, "Well...if you say so Georgie. Let's go find Bad."

  
George followed Dream out of the room and stared at his back. He really needed to get a grip on himself and stop worrying Dream. It felt like he was being bothersome. Dream was always having to accommodate George.

  
He felt a rush of determination as they left the blacksmith's home and George looked up when he saw a flash of black. Bad was already walking towards them with a blank expression, "I didn't find anything good. What about you guys?"

  
"We were coming to find you. We didn't find much but there's a blacksmith station here with all the right equipment so we can stay here for the night," Dream explained and grinned when Bad's whole face brightened, "We'll smelt all our ores here overnight and tomorrow."

  
"That's awesome!" Bad gushed and George smiled, "We can take care of that and then we can try to find another village tomorrow!"

  
"We might not have too," Dream spoke up with confidence as he glanced behind him, "I'm pretty decent at making armor and weapons. It'll take some time though so if you guys would rather we try to find a village we can do that."

  
"Well you sound pretty confident," George teased and felt inwardly surprised when Dream's face lit up. Anything else he thought of saying died on his tongue.

  
"Let's just stay here then," Bad laughed, "I also know a little about blacksmithing so I could try to help you."

  
George shot him an incredulous look, "Is there anything you _don't_ know about?"

  
Dream and Bad burst out laughing as Bad replied, "Plenty. I just had a lot of time on my hands and I read _all_ the time. I spent time studying things I didn't know."

  
"Cool," Dream complimented and Bad blushed just a little, smiling. 

  
"Thanks," He replied and George felt something funny in his chest again when Dream ruffled Bad's hair playfully.

  
"So what should we do first?" George cleared his throat and both males looked at him thoughtfully.

  
"I'll clean up the blacksmithing station and load it up with coal," Dream told them as he stared off, "We need to get to smelting all this iron as soon as possible since it will take awhile to make the armor."

  
"Sounds good," Bad beamed as he turned to George, "I'll clean up the inside of the blacksmith's house and get it ready so we can safely cook and sleep in there. George why don't you get us some more wood? We're running low."

  
"Sure," George nodded wondering why Dream's eyes narrowed.

  
"Just don't go too far out," Dream urged and George felt a nice warmth flood him. He grinned, nodding his head again. Bad chuckled before heading up the platform of the blacksmith's house and disappearing inside.

  
"I'll leave my pack with you," George said as he glanced at Dream, who was staring at him, "I'll just take my axe and sword with me."

  
"Okay," Dream smiled after a moment, "I'll be outside cleaning the blast furnace so just scream for me if something happens."

  
"Right..." George rolled his eyes but smiled in amusement. He shook his head as he let out chuckles, moving towards some of the trees close by.

* * *

George worked slowly, focusing only on chopping wood without too much effort. He ignored the way his head was still aching slightly but there was nothing he could do about it. As he threw more wood in a small pile he had forming on the ground by his feet, George felt eyes on him.

  
He stood slowly and peeked over his shoulder. George jolted when he saw Dream staring at him from the platform of the blacksmith's house. Dream seemed to pause as he got caught staring and immediately went back to wiping down the blacksmithing equipment. George couldn't help but laugh slightly as he turned to continue chopping wood.

  
Soon he had a decent pile on the ground and he stopped chopping, sighing deeply. George wiped sweat from his forehead and let his hand rest there, trying not to focus on the small throbs in his head.

  
After resting like that for a second, George grabbed the pile of wood in his arms and walked back to the blacksmith's house. He stopped on the platform, watching Dream's back as he worked over a blast furnace for a second before George gently put down the pile of wood he chopped just outside the door to the house.

  
"How's it coming?" George spoke up, surprised when Dream jumped slightly. Dream turned and laughed a little.

  
"Oh hey, you scared me. It's going pretty good," Dream said with amusement in his tone, "I was a bit lost in thinking for a second there."

  
"Will the furnaces work?" George questioned, going to stand beside Dream and looking down at what Dream was doing.

  
"Yeah. Once I finish cleaning them up and put the coal we got in there it should work just fine," Dream replied nonchalantly and then he glanced at George, "How's your head?"

  
George smiled, "It's okay...just the same actually. The pain flares up when I move my head too much but its just dull throbs...like a constant headache."

  
"I see," Dream frowned, "I was so worried about you, you know? When I found you I thought it was much worse."

  
George frowned as well and then his eyes widened as he realized that this whole time he never thanked Dream for helping him out. George scowled at himself before noticing Dream raising an eyebrow at him, "Dream, I'm sorry I....I just remembered I never thanked you for helping me yesterday..."

  
"Oh..." Dream blinked at him before laughing, almost wheezing, "You don't have to thank me George. We're friends so of course I'm going to help you!"

  
George felt warm again but he rolled his eyes, "A decent human should thank people that help them you know, no matter if you're my best friend or not."

  
He didn't realize what he said at first and flinched when Dream suddenly leaned away from him, his eyes wide behind his mask. George blinked at him, "What?"

  
"I...I'm your _best_ friend? So that means we leveled up already?" Dream teased and George then realized what he said. He turned red but laughed at the way Dream worded that.

  
"Leveled up? Sure I guess," George laughed out and Dream laughed along with him. After they finished laughing Dream placed one of his hands on George's left forearm.

  
Dream smiled, "You're my best friend too."

  
George's eyes widened and he felt like his skin was warm where Dream was touching. He blurted, "But I thought Sapnap was your best friend?"

  
For some reason Dream bent his head back and laughed joyously, wheezing again. George smiled in confusion because he didn't know why Dream was laughing but his laugh made _George_ want to laugh himself.

  
"You can have more than one best friend George," Dream teased through his laughing and George felt his whole face warm up. Dream chuckled and moved his hand to ruffle George's head just a little but kept his hand there, "I should get back to fixing up these furnaces. Love you Georgie."

  
George froze, glancing at Dream but Dream was smiling at him. The front door to the blacksmith's house opened then and Bad's voice distracted him, "Oh, George there you are!"

  
"I'm here," George said awkwardly as he turned to face Bad and felt somewhat odd when Dream dropped his hand away from George's head to continue working, "Is...is that enough wood?"

  
Bad looked from Dream to George to the wood pile by George's feet. He smiled brightly, "Yup that should do it! Can you carry some in here please?"

  
"Sure," George smiled back easily and bent over to grab some wood before following Bad inside the house. George paused when he noticed how clean the floors and counters already were. Bad doesn't waste any time it seemed.

  
"Put the wood in that pit there," Bad gestured and George turned to where he was pointing. He blinked when he noticed the cobblestone pit that was against the wall, hidden from view from the entranceway. That must be why he didn't see it before, "Can you build a fire in there for me? We'll need this place to warm up soon."

  
"Okay," George agreed, realizing that the pit was a fireplace. He began to work on piling enough wood in the pit so that the fire would be decent, but not too big. The last thing they needed was to burn down the convenient shelter.

  
After George successfully started the fire, he glanced over at Bad who was unpacking their food supplies and laying them out on the newly cleaned counters, "Anything else I can do to help?"

  
Bad turned to him thoughtfully, "I've been busy cleaning in here so can you dust off the wool couch and then the bed in the bedroom? I figured we'd sleep here so we'll need those to be clean."

  
"True," George laughed as he stood slowly. He walked to the wool couch and began to use his hands to sweep dust and little webs off. It was a long process and George almost inhaled dust one too many times.

  
After he deemed the couch as cleaned to the best of his abilities, George walked off to the bedroom and repeated the process with the white cotton bed in the corner of the room. It went a little easier and he fluffed out the blanket, patting it out to clean it and placed it back on the bed. He did the same with the pillows and leaned back to check his work.

  
His eyes caught on the cobblestone pit that was in a secluded corner of the room. He'd seen that before, unlike the one in the main room, and smiled. George walked back out into the main room and blinked when he didn't see Bad where he was before.

  
George went outside to grab more wood and paused when he heard Dream and Bad talking. They halted when George stepped out though, "Uh, is everything okay?"

  
"Oh yeah, Bad was helping me put in the ores to smelt," Dream grinned and George noticed they were squatting in front of the furnaces, their hands black from handling coal, "It's a slow process so that we don't get burned."

  
"Be careful," George warned, eyeing the now brightly lit furnaces. Dream laughed and Bad chuckled. 

  
"Sure thing Georgie," Dream winked and George blushed a little, frowning, "What are you up to? Bad said you were helping him clean up."

  
"Yeah I just finished dusting off the couch and the bed. I'm about to get a fire going in the bedroom fireplace so it'll be warm in there tonight," George explained with a small smile forming on his face.

  
"Speaking of, I was just telling Dream that you guys can take the bedroom and I'll sleep on the couch," Bad grinned and there was something weird about his expression. George noticed Dream shift slightly, "It'll be better than sleeping in bed rolls."

  
"True but...there's only one bed," George reminded and George wondered what was wrong with the two of them when Bad's weird expression got more intense and Dream was suddenly backtracking, looking more nervous than George had ever _seen_ him since meeting him.

  
"Y-Yeah you can have the bed Georgie and I-I'll just sleep on my bedroll," Dream stammered as he looked into George's face like he was looking for something. George lifted an eyebrow.

  
"No Dream your shoulder is hurt...not badly but it's pretty bruised. You shouldn't sleep on the floor if you don't have to," George explained and Bad was nodding in agreement. A thought came to George and he decided to test it out, "We can just sleep in the bed together right?"

  
Like he thought, Dream's eyes widened largely behind the mask and he spluttered, "W-What? You want to share the bed?"

  
George was immediately embarrassed and concerned. So Dream _was_ uncomfortable with that? Was that not something friends did? But Dream was holding him while they slept that morning and George didn't really feel like that was a big deal. Was it actually? "Is that a weird thing to offer?"

  
"No!" Dream blurted and both boys jumped in their skin when Bad suddenly burst out into loud laughter.

  
"You guys are something else!" He spoke through laughter as he hugged himself, "You are way to _awkward_ about it! There's nothing wrong with sharing the bed George!"

  
"Uh okay," George replied stupidly, blinking at their black-clad friend before looking to Dream, "But that made you uncomfortable right? I'm sorry. If you don't want to then I'll just sleep in my bed roll."

  
"No, no it didn't make me uncomfortable," Dream stood up suddenly, looking at him intently and George didn't know how to react, "I was just worried that it made _you_ feel obligated or uncomfortable...I don't mind at all."

  
George smiled then and Dream looked caught off guard. Dream was always so worried about him. He was weird. George felt relieved, however, that he hadn't made Dream uncomfortable just then, "Okay then. I'll get this wood to the fireplace so it can warm up in there."

  
A warm smile graced Dream's face and George stared at it, an intense feeling of wanting to see Dream's full face smacking him like a cloth to the face. He hesitantly tore his gaze away and bent to grab more wood from his pile before heading inside hurriedly. He heard Bad laughing again as he did.

A lot of things about Dream were confusing but George was determined to learn all there was to know about his new best friend so that he could stop bothering Dream so much. Maybe if he weren't so unused to everything, inexperienced, and easily embarrassed Dream wouldn't feel the need to be so _worried_ about him.

George just didn't want Dream to eventually get tired of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah George...like that'll happen.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! If anything doesn't make sense then make sure to let me know!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are a bit different with Dream and George meets another stranger. Things get a bit chaotic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and/or Hanukkah! I might not update next week due to the holidays, so that's just a fair warning! I'm going to be out of town for awhile visiting family! 🎄🌟👪
> 
> Stay safe you guys! I hope you enjoy the chapter and thank you all for your wonderful support 💕

Days passed into weeks as the boys kept themselves busy. Most of their time was spent helping Dream make their armor with all the iron they smelted. Bad helped mostly in this regard as George didn't know the first thing about making weapons or armor. Instead, George did most of the hunting, fishing, and cooking. He stocked up on wool for bandages and used stone to make arrows with so that they didn't use up their iron supply. George didn't get much time to practice sparring with Dream, though, since Dream was so busy with their armor, so George often tried practicing on his own.

  
As time passed into the third week, George noticed that Dream was acting differently. He began spending more time with Bad than he did with George and George thought that was normal since, you know, Bad was helping him make their armor...but he slowly realized that Dream was avoiding spending too much time with George and no longer glued himself to George's side.

  
And that....that made George feel _odd_. Before, Dream would use any excuse to be close to George and wouldn't be afraid to grab his hand or lean on him but now it was like Dream was keeping him at arms length and keeping up a physical wall like he was nervous. George didn't understand the change, had he done something that Dream didn't like? As he thought that, George was reminded that Dream was the blunt type that would tell you exactly how he felt.

  
The only thing that _didn't_ change was the fact that Dream and George still shared a bed at night. There was only one clean and unbroken bed in the abandoned village after all and when George first proposed to share the bed with Dream he wasn't prepared for how concerned Dream was with that. He'd told George that he was only worried for how _he_ felt though and true to his word Dream didn't seem too uncomfortable sharing a bed with him.

  
So then why did things feel so different? Was it something he did?

* * *

George finished adjusting his hoodie and equipping his iron sword as well as a bow and some arrows when the door to the bedroom opened. He heard Dream and Bad's conversation stop abruptly when they saw him in the room. George rose an eyebrow at them. That happened a lot. It was as if they were talking about _him_. George internally shook his head. No need to be so paranoid.

  
"Oh hey Georgie," Dream grinned and George smiled, "We were just grabbing my extra flint and steel from my pack."

  
"I see," George said slowly, glancing from Dream to Bad, "How's the third set coming along?"

  
Dream and Bad already completed their armor sets or at least Dream said it was _almost_ finished. After all three were made Dream mentioned that he needed to "refine" them. They were currently making _his_ armor set. George can still remember the fiery blush he sported when Dream had to take his measurements for the armor.

  
"Oh its coming along nicely, I think," Dream smirked as he walked over to the end of the bed where his pack laid and started rummaging through it, "Don't worry though I'll try extra hard on this set since its yours~"

  
George blushed, his heart stuttering a couple of beats and he ducked his head to hopefully hide his blush. He scowled and Dream must have seen _that_ because he laughed. Bad suddenly added, "We should be done by the end of the week!" 

  
"Oh...that's cool," George replied with a smile as he turned his attention to their black-clad friend, "Well, I'm about to go hunting again. We're running a little low on meat and I find I have little patience for fishing which is probably why."

  
Dream and Bad both laughed. Dream stood up with his flint and steel in one hand and regarded George, "I've noticed that. Oh, but don't go too far okay?"

  
George nodded, smiling at the warmth Dream's concern caused in his chest. Dream smiled back and reached his arm out like he was going to either put it on George's head or shoulder before he froze and let his arm drop. George's heart skipped a beat and he felt that odd sadness. Why was he pulling away again? 

  
"I better get back to work," Dream grinned as if nothing was wrong and it left George wondering if it was just _him_ that thought things were a bit different or weird. George briefly nodded in response to Dream's words and glanced over at Bad, who was watching them silently. There was no explicit expression on his face, as if he were expressionless.

  
"Whelp, let's go then!" Bad suddenly beamed, shooting George a smile before they both left the room, leaving George lost and a bit confused. George sighed and followed after them, leaving the house. He forced himself not to look at Dream as he walked off the cobblestone platform where they were working and walked on the path towards the woods.

  
George sighed deeply this time, pushing all his worries to the back of his mind as he grabbed his bow and focused on trying to find some animals to hunt. Dream would reveal whatever is going on in his head if it were something to be worried about. And George was pretty sure that Bad knew whatever was making Dream act oddly given the secret conversations they seemed to have sometimes. They were his friends. They wouldn't keep things from him if it were important for him to know.

At least, that's what George _hoped._

* * *

"Dream, you gotta stop freezing up like that when you're about to touch George," Bad scowled as he stared over at Dream, who was pausing in his work to watch George disappear in the woods. Dream flicked his green eyes into Bad's and frowned.

"I didn't _mean_ to," Dream groaned, slumping against the wood frame of the door to the house they've been staying at, "I just start overthinking about how he's gonna react and..."

"I think he's more worried about you pulling away so frequently," Bad deadpanned and rolled his eyes when Dream looked at him in shock.

"You think he notices it that much?" Dream asked nervously, glancing between Bad and the woods where George disappeared. He felt his heart drop into his stomach at the thought that George notices Dream's constant hesitation to touch him. 

"Dream..." Bad trailed off, looking almost incredulous, "George might be oblivious and a bit dense, not that it's his fault, but even a _blind_ person can see the way you always hesitate around him. And that's with both actions _and_ words!"

"Really? It's that bad?" Dream winced, feeling himself flush a bit. He thought about all the times he caught George staring at him or the times George was staring off in space like he was in deep thought. Bad was probably right. 

"It is pretty bad, Dream," Bad sighed, putting a hand over his face, "No offense but your behavior is all _over_ the place! Sometimes you hesitate, sometimes you don't, and sometimes you flirt with him! George will be confused about how you feel until you tell him."

Dream jolted, his heart immediately racing in a non good way as he thought about George finding out his feelings for him. That still wasn't an option. That could _not_ happen! He glanced at Bad, who was staring at him sympathetically. Dream knew he was acting a little odd, but he didn't think he was acting _that_ different. It was a week into his different behavior when Bad pulled him aside and asked him what was wrong.

And Dream immediately let all his worries out on Bad, including his feelings for George. He figured Bad probably had a inkling to his feelings anyway, with the way he's been studying them since they met Bad and just as he thought, Bad admitted he already knew about Dream's feelings. He never thought he'd be so relieved to have someone else know about his newfound feelings for George. Bad was really good to him and he was so easy to talk to about it.

"Bad I-" Dream choked on his words and cleared his throat, "I can't tell George about my feelings...George won't understand..."

"How do you know he won't understand?" Bad asked in a serious tone. Dream frowned, thinking of how to explain his worry exactly.

"Bad, you remember what I told you? George hasn't grown up with friends," Dream explained and Bad frowned sadly this time, nodding his head, "And he admitted that no one has shown interest in him...what am I supposed to do that won't freak him out and ruin everything?"

"I don't know exactly," Bad admitted sheepishly, "I'm not saying that you should confess your feelings for him...but he's going to be so worried and confused if you pull away from him like that."

"I know," Dream mumbled, dropping his head a little. His heart clenched at the idea of making George worried, "I just know that I like being around him and touching him but it's been feeling more and more like I'm taking _advantage_ of him."

Bad's expression turned into a worried one, "Why do you say that?"

"Because _I_ know my feelings and why I like touching him but _he_ doesn't know that," Dream explained before his eyes widened, "That sounds a little wrong saying it like that. I just...he thinks what I do around him is what normal friends do."

"Oh I see now," Bad's eyes lit up in understanding and he frowned, "Well then he just needs to learn the difference in physical contact with a friend and physical contact with a lover."

Bad laughed loudly when Dream's eyes widened further and he blushed so hard that you could almost see it through the white of his smiley-faced mask, "Besides, some of the things you do with George _are_ things that friends do."

"Like what?" Dream's lips quivered, trying to get his blush under control. He wasn't expecting Bad to say what he said. Bad looked at him and paused thoughtfully.

"Well, some friends hold hands. Not for as long as you guys do granted but..." Bad began looking sheepish again, "Okay so maybe a lot of what you guys do is more intimate."

Dream closed his eyes and sighed, "Bad, I'm just so scared of him finding out my feelings."

Things were quiet for a moment and Dream opened his eyes, glancing at Bad. His black-clad friend was looking at him blankly, almost expressionless before he sighed softly, "Alright Dream. It's not something that has to be done right away, so don't freak out okay?"

"Okay..." Dream trailed off, already feeling calmer. Bad smiled, "Yeah...its not like he has to know immediately, right?"

"Right," Bad nodded, putting a hand on Dream's shoulder and squeezing comfortingly, "Do things at your own pace! Just don't pull away from him."

"Yeah," Dream nodded, smiling down at Bad, "Thanks Bad. You've been my rock these past three weeks."

"Anything for a friend!" Bad chirped, his expression beaming. Then he turned to their workbench, "Now let's get working again or we'll never finish George's armor by the end of the week!"

"Okay, okay," Dream laughed, stepping away from Bad and grabbing a mallet, "Back to work then."

* * *

George knew he'd gone too deep in the forest when he chased a deer all the way into a plain flower field. George looked around, bewildered. He'd gone from the abandoned village, through the whole forest, and out into a plain field? He groaned when he realized he lost track of the deer. Now what was he going to do? That deer could have fed them for weeks or maybe a _month_!

His attention was stolen by a distant mooing and he blinked when he saw a single cow roaming the field. George resisted the urge to snicker. Was that supposed to be a sign from the universe? He shook his head and aimed his bow carefully. After docking an arrow he muttered an apology to the cow ahead of time before he let the arrow loose. The cow didn't even know what hit it when the arrow pierced it's neck. It immediately cried out and fell over.

George rushed towards the fallen cow and took out a knife to quickly put the animal out of his misery. Just because he was okay with hunting and killing animals, he never killed them for sport and he never wanted them to suffer. George took out the arrow and began wiping it clean. The only problem he had now was moving the cow all the way back to the others. He wasn't supposed to have hunted this far.

Sighing tiredly to himself, George stood and readjusted his equipment before studying the dead animal. There had to be some way that he can move it...

"Oh wow, hello!"

George threw himself back, stumbling on his feet as his heart leapt in his throat. He just about had a heart attack! His brown eyes widened when he saw a man with a large backpack standing at the edge of the forest he, himself, had just come out of. The man had short jet black hair and light blue eyes. There was black stubble on his upper lip and his skin was a bit pale. He looked just as surprised to see George there as George was to see him.

"Who are you?" George asked slowly when he felt his racing heart calm down. He narrowed his eyes, "Where did you come from?

The man put his hands up as he studied George with wide eyes, "I came from the forest. I'm a wandering trader of sorts!"

"Really...?" George rose an eyebrow, studying the man. He didn't feel uneasy about the stranger but... "I just came from that forest and I didn't see you or hear you around there..."

The man rose an eyebrow and smiled, "Well I _just_ came from there. I came from West of the forest."

George hummed. That made more sense. He and the others were camped North of the forest. George gasped when the man started walking towards him, no ounce of hesitation. George's hands hovered over his sword and the man paused, "Sorry if I'm scaring you. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Since you're a traveling trader you well know that you can't always trust the words of strangers," George muttered, narrowing his eyes at the stranger further. The man blinked before he laughed, nodding his head.

"Yeah, that's true!" He laughed out and walked closer, "How about this? My name is Sam but you can just call me Awesamdude!"

Sam's tone deepened at the end and he winked, leaving George bewildered, "Uh? Awesamdude? Why does everyone like weird names?"

Interest and curiosity flashed in Sam's eyes. George realized he might have revealed something and shuffled his feet awkwardly. Sam was staring at him, "What's your name? You're not gonna let me just awkwardly introduce myself right?"

"I'm...George," George mumbled, watching Sam's reaction. Sam smiled widely, "Just George..."

"Well just George," Sam laughed cheerfully, "Nice to meet you!"

"So do you actually want me to call you Awesamdude or Sam...?" George asked hesitantly. He still didn't sense any malice from Sam. If anything he was _almost_ like Bad.

"Just call me Awesamdude! Get it? Awe _sam_ dude _?"_ Awesamdude wiggled his eyebrows and George laughed but felt a bit uncomfortable for some reason, "So George...you seem to have nice aim with a bow! If you killed this cow all by yourself then you must live close by..."

George immediately felt his guard go back up and he frowned at Awesamdude, "Maybe...maybe not."

"Don't worry I'm not trying to rob you!" Awesamdude laughed as he put his hands up, "Are you staying somewhere by yourself?"

"Why do you want to know?" George questioned, studying him intensely. Awesamdude looked a bit sheepish suddenly.

"Well that probably sounded suspicious but I kind of need a place to stay for a couple of days," He replied and George thought he seemed genuine. He blinked when Awesamdude pointed to one of his legs and turned it slightly, showing a freely bleeding gash on the calf of his right leg. George gasped, eyes going wide.

"What the hell?!" George cursed, kneeling immediately to study it closer. It needed stitches and was still bleeding, but it wasn't bleeding profusely, "Why didn't you just tell me you needed help?"

When he looked up Awesamdude was staring at him with wide eyes and pink cheeks, "Uh, really- well that's uh, because I thought it'd be w-weird to ask a stranger to help me the moment I meet him."

"How is that weird if it's genuine?" George asked, tilting his head in confusion. Awesamdude just blinked before laughing and grinning at him.

"You're quite an interesting guy, hmm?" He smirked and George stared at him, "So you don't mind helping me out?"

"I don't mind but...how did this happen?" George asked, hesitating. His stuff was back at the house he was temporarily staying at with Dream and Bad. Speaking of his friends, would they mind that he wants to help a stranger? Would they be mad at him?

"I'm not proud of myself but I fell down a steep hill and cut my leg on a jagged rock," Awesamdude sighed but smiled afterwards, "If you're okay with it I can help you take that cow back to where you're staying."

George's heart skipped a beat. His mind was still racing with uncertainties but he didn't want to leave this guy to possibly get an infection or anything like that. It was almost deja vu. Hadn't he met Dream in a similar way and now they were best friends? Maybe Dream would understand. George glanced at Awesamdude uncertainly, "I don't mind but let's wrap something around that so you don't just continue to bleed out while we get there."

Awesamdude laughed, "Okay! Thanks!"

"Oh and I'm traveling with two friends and they'll be there," George admitted, his heart racing at revealing this information. He wasn't being stupid right? Awesamdude looked at him in surprise but then mellowed into an understanding nod.

"They'll probably be suspicious of me then. You can take my weapon away if that makes things better," He replied and George felt himself relax a little.

"That might make things easier...one of my friends is naturally suspicious of others," George trailed off, thinking of Dream and remembering how Dream treated him at first. George shook his head, "Well first do you have a cloth on you or anything like that?"

"Just an old shirt I don't wear," Awesamdude answered, already turning a bit to rummage in his large backpack. He handed George a grayish pink shirt and George nodded before using the shirt to press on Awesamdude's wound and tying the sleeves as tight as he could without cutting off circulation.

George leaned back and smiled, "Okay, that should help stop the bleeding. You can help me carry the cow back but I'll do most of the lifting, alright?"

Awesamdude was just staring at him then and he got another wave of deja vu only this time he wasn't warm all over. Sam staring at him didn't make him feel anxious like it had when Dream stared at him when they first met. Was that because Dream was more dangerous and George instinctively knew that? 

"Here's my weapon," Awesamdude said suddenly, handing a worn iron sword out to George. He took it and pushed it in the strap where his own sword was sheathed. George turned to Awesamdude and nodded, "Thanks again George. I'm glad to have someone help me."

"No problem," George smiled, recognizing that familiar happiness he felt whenever he was able to be of use to someone. They both stood at opposite ends of the dead cow and readied themselves to find the best way to drag it.

* * *

"George is taking awhile isn't he?" Dream muttered as he paused in hammering out the kinks in the iron chest plate he was working on. Bad snickered at him and Dream frowned, "I'm serious! Hasn't it been a little over an hour?"

"It has but I'm sure he's fine," Bad grinned, unable to help himself, "George has gotten really good at self defense due to practicing."

"Yeah but...he's so small," Dream scowled as he leaned back. He wiped his hands and face with a cloth before sighing, "What if he came across trouble?"

"Look, how about we give him another thirty minutes and if he's not back we'll go looking for him?" Bad offered with a knowing look in his eyes, "George can handle himself just fine you know."

"Not if it were a group," Dream muttered, his eyes darkening as he thought about all the wrong things. Bad huffed but smiled.

"Don't worry, Dream. I'm sure he's fine," Bad soothed and Dream sighed slowly this time, closing his eyes, "Are you going to talk to him when he gets back?"

"About what?" Dream questioned, peeking at Bad. He didn't look amused.

"You should talk to him when he gets back, Dream," Bad scowled, "At the very least reassure him that nothing is wrong with you and that you two are okay. You can't be that dense to not know he's worried about you right?"

"I know, I know...." Dream trailed off, staring into the woods, "I-I'll reassure him when he gets back."

Bad brightened and clapped his hands together, "Awesome! In the meantime there's something else I wanted to talk to you about!"

"Like what?" Dream asked warily, studying Bad's face. Bad rolled his eyes.

"It's about our little mission to the nether," Bad explained and Dream blinked before turning to give Bad his full attention, "Now that we've almost completed our armor we need to talk about how we're going to build the nether portal."

"We need obsidian still and we can only get that by mining with a diamond pickaxe," Dream grumbled. Everything in their plan seemed to be working in their favor except that one little part.

"Well actually I've been doing some reading," Bad started as his eyes flicked towards his pack by the front door, "We could combine water with lava and make obsidian that way. So we can find a decent lava pool and use buckets of both water and lava to make a nether portal."

"But how can we do that if we can't get close to lava without melting our skin off?" Dream deadpanned and Bad giggled.

"We'd need to drink fire resistance potions," Bad answered with a grin, "The effects of that would protect us from fire and lava."

"Oh..." Dream trailed off, his eyes widening as he thought about what Bad said. Dream knew a little bit about certain potions but not how to make them, "How would we get our hands on fire resistance potions?"

"That's another hard part. We'd have to find a village with a cleric that can make them for us," Bad sighed, looking a little dejected then, "I just thought that'd be another option for us."

"Even if we were lucky enough to find a cleric that can make them, it'd probably be expensive," Dream also sighed, crossing his arms, "Sounds like mining for obsidian is still a better option."

"Yeah...it was just a thought," Bad nodded, looking a little sad. Dream smiled.

"It's a great idea Bad, don't get me wrong," Dream soothed, "It just might be a little impossible for us."

Bad smiled at Dream trying to make him feel better, "I know...I just wanted to tell you about it."

They both heard rustling and turned to eye the woods. Dream's hand was already going towards the sword at his hip like an automatic thing while Bad tensed, staring intently. They both relaxed slightly when George came into view. A second later Dream gasped when caught sight of another man across from George, both of them seemed to be dragging a carcass.

"George!" Dream shouted, jumping off the platform and rushing towards the male. George jumped, his eyes widening as he looked up at Dream. 

"Wait!" George shouted back, dropping the front of the carcass he was carrying and waving his hands anxiously. Dream didn't stop but slowed his run in confusion as he glared at the man with George, "He's not a threat. He gave me his weapon. He's injured..."

"Oh no, really?" Bad gasped and Dream jumped, not realizing that Bad had been running right on his heels. Dream eyed the stranger and the stranger shifted, a little nervous.

"Whoa...you weren't kidding when you said I might be intimated," The stranger joked, lightly laughing as he glanced at George. Dream rose an eyebrow, looking between the two with his chest tightening. 

"Who are you?" Dream growled, his hand twitching towards his sword, "Where did you come from?"

The stranger looked at him warily and George jumped towards Dream, trying to placate him. George began telling the story of what happened and the guy, Awesamdude, started butting in with his own side of things. It was only when the male showed his injury did Dream relax a little. So the guy wasn't lying to George...at least not about being injured. 

"I...I was hoping it was okay to help...I mean I...I didn't want to just leave him like that," George stammered and Dream blinked when he realized George was staring at him hesitantly, like he was afraid Dream was _mad_ at him. Dream was just wary of the stranger that's all. There was something about him he didn't like.

Dream smiled softly and was putting a hand on George's shoulder without thinking at first, "I'm not mad at you, George. If you think he's not a threat then I trust you."

The slow beam that George gave him almost knocked him off his feet and he was never more glad to be wearing a mask. Bad was biting his lip like he was physically biting back laughter and George turned to Awesamdude, "Let's get this cow closer to the platform so I can prepare it later. Then I'll treat your wound."

"Alright George, thanks!" Awesamdude grinned, staring at him. Dream felt another pang in his chest but remained silent. He and Bad decided to help them drag the carcass closer to the platform and Dream watched silently as Awesamdude followed George inside the house.

Bad lightly bumped arms with Dream and Dream looked at him. Bad smiled, "Let's go in after them. Can't be too careful right?"

Dream smiled, "Right..."

They both entered the house and Awesamdude was sitting alone on the couch, looking around with interest. When they walked in he looked at them before glancing away with a hesitant smile, "Sorry for making you guys uncomfortable...I was surprised to see George out there, you know?"

"I'm sure," Bad grinned as he walked closer to the guy, "I'm Bad and that's Dream by the way."

"Interesting," Awesamdude laughed out, "Now I see what he meant when he said what he said."

"What did he say?" Dream asked a little too intently, stepping closer to them. Awesamdude glanced at him before smiling a little awkwardly.

"When I told him my name he wondered why everyone he meets likes to have weird names," He laughed again and Dream smirked to himself, imagining George's reaction in his mind.

They were distracted when George came into the room with his pack in his arms. He sat beside Awesamdude on the couch and Dream carefully ignored how that made his chest burn. Things were quiet for a little bit as George slowly unwound a shirt from around the man's leg and reached in his bag for his wool cloth.

"So...you guys live here?" Awesamdude cleared his throat and glanced around at all three of them. Bad peeked at Dream, who went tense and George decided to answer.

"Not really. We found this place and it's convenient for us right now," George replied without looking up from working on cleaning the man's wound, "I have to stitch this up now. It won't feel pretty so fair warning."

"I've had stitches before," Awesamdude smirked down at George and Dream shuffled from one foot to the other, "Where are you guys headed?"

"Why do you want to know?" Dream scowled, aware of how rude his tone sounded. Bad was staring at Dream then and George looked up at Dream in surprise. Awesamdude glanced at Dream blankly.

"I'm just making conversation. I think if I wanted to hurt you guys I would have started with George," He said his eyes narrowing at Dream. Dream found his lip curling into a snarl and he bit back a retort.

"Uh, stay still. Don't move," George warned the male as he steadied the wounded leg. George shot Dream a somewhat confused look before he started working. Awesamdude returned to staring at George.

"To answer your question from before, we aren't heading anywhere specific," Bad lied and George glanced at Bad once before returning to stitching Awesamdude's leg. Dream also peeked at Bad, but was thankful that Bad lied. 

"I see," Awesamdude smiled slightly as he turned his head to face Bad, "I'm heading South myself but do you guys mind if I bunk here for a couple of days?"

Dream felt himself bristle at the thought of this guy staying with them even if it were for two days and Bad hesitated as he glanced at Dream again. George stiffened for a split second before he said, "We don't really have another good bed here but I have a bed roll you can borrow."

Dream looked at George incredulously. Bad looked a bit awkward as he glanced between them all but he forced a smile on his face as he looked at Awesamdude, "Yeah you can take one of the other houses. I think that'll be best since we don't know each other well."

"Sure," Awesamdude agreed, glancing at Dream before he looked at George warmly, "And thanks George. You're so nice."

Dream bit his tongue hard and glared at Awesamdude. George smiled a bit at the guy which made Dream feel worse and George spoke up, "I'm not nice...it's just common courtesy. If I were in trouble, I'd want someone to help me too."

"Right," Awesamdude laughed, "Don't worry. I'd help you out."

Bad rose an eyebrow at the guy and then glanced at Dream, who was practically glaring a whole in the new guy's head. It was obvious to everyone but George that the new guy was flirting with him a bit. Things were silent for a bit as Bad and Awesamdude watched George stitch the wound and Dream stood glaring either at the ground or at Awesamdude.

Then George leaned back and smiled, "All done. Just be careful on your leg so you don't pull the stitches."

"Thanks George!" Awesamdude grinned, studying his bandaged leg, "You seem good at that! Do you usually go around helping strangers?"

George startled and his eyes immediately went to Dream. Dream stiffened in surprise at George's sudden attention. George suddenly smiled and it was almost shy. It made Dream warm, "Only if they need my help I guess...."

Awesamdude and Bad laughed at that while Dream watched George look back at him. George blinked to see Dream already looking at him and he smiled hesitantly. Dream grinned and felt a inward pang when George's smile brightened like he was happy Dream wasn't avoiding him. Dream's earlier conversation with Bad entered his mind and he almost winced. So George was worried about Dream...

"So which house can I take?" Awesamdude spoke up, smiling at Bad and George.

"How about the one across the way?" Bad hesitantly offered, "We've already scouted this place out weeks ago so it's safe."

"Alright, sounds great!" He replied brightly and he turned to George, "So you guys all stay in this one house?"

"Yup," George answered with a small nod, "Why?"

"Just curious," Awesamdude shrugged, looking at George, "I noticed only one bedroom. So you guys camp out in there?"

"Why do you want to know?" Dream asked tensely and Dream knew Awesamdude didn't really like him so far because when Awesamdude turned to face him, his expression was a little colder.

"I was just asking because George mentioned giving me his bed roll and I don't want to take something he needs," He replied flatly and Dream noticed George tense.

"Uh, it's okay. There's a bed in there and Bad sleeps on the couch..." George trailed off, biting his lip like he didn't mean to say so much. Something shifted in Awesamdude's expression as he looked between George and Dream. It made Dream want to smirk. That's right...

"I see. Well I'm glad I'm not taking anything from you then," Awesamdude said carefully, smiling at George, "It would have been awesome to have you as a roommate though!"

George looked a tad confused like he didn't know what to say to that. Dream's hands curled into fists, "Really? Well...thanks..."

"Why don't I get you settled in where you'll stay?!" Bad jumped in loudly as he crowded close, surprising all three other males, "C'mon Awesamdude, wasn't it?"

"Oh...sure," Awesamdude quickly smiled and George hurriedly handed him the bed roll that he unattached from his pack. Dream realized that Bad was doing this to give George some space and allow Dream to talk to him. Bad winked at Dream and basically horded a confused Awesamdude out of the house.

Once the sound of their voices trailed off, Dream turned to George. He was silently packing away the medical supplies. Dream awkwardly rubbed his hand on his neck and stepped closer to George until he was right by his side, "Uh, hey George...so that guy didn't do anything to you right?"

George looked up at him, "No he didn't. I think we can trust that he won't try anything."

_'Unless it's with you,'_ Dream's traitorous jealous thoughts emerged and he pursed his lips, "Good...and you're okay, right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," George answered, nodding. Something flashed in his eyes and he stood slowly, facing Dream, "Are _you_ okay?"

"Uh, me? Yeah I'm okay," Dream stammered but forced himself not to avert his gaze from George's chocolate brown eyes. George studied his expression like he didn't believe him, "I'm sorry I worried you."

George's eyes widened and Dream wanted to face palm. Why did he say that so suddenly? "Then...are you good now?"

"Huh?" Dream blurted, looking down at him in confusion. George frowned worriedly.

"I thought that maybe I did something wrong...cause sometimes you avoid me," George stated looking slightly saddened, "Ever since I said we could share the bed together..."

"Oh...oh no, George you didn't do anything wrong," Dream frowned, "I didn't mean to make you think that. I just had a lot on my mind. I promise I'm not uncomfortable sharing a bed with you."

"You're sure?" George asked, looking at him doubtfully. Dream nodded and George continued, "So...we're okay, right? You're not tired of me?"

Dream's eyes widened. Where in the hell did he get that idea from? Dream stepped closer to George and put his hand on George's cheek, "Of course I'm not tired of you. We're best friends George!"

George's eyes widened at him but shockingly he leaned his cheek in Dream's hand, making him blush slightly, and smiled happily, "I'm glad! I was so worried that I did something wrong and I didn't understand what that was."

"You did nothing wrong George. Sorry for making you think that," Dream said softly and hesitantly pulled his hand away. George beamed at him.

"It's alright! If you...if you ever want to talk then you know you can talk to _me_ , right?" George offered, looking at Dream almost shyly before he smirked, "Like I'm actually good at keeping secrets."

Dream laughed a little, "Thanks George, I'm sure you are! You can talk to me about anything too okay?"

"Right," George nodded, looking pleased with himself. Dream smiled in amusement. Where did that come from all of a sudden? George looked at the door and back to Dream, "Want to help me prepare the meat?"

"Sure I could use a break from hammering," Dream snickered and George laughed, bumping his arm with Dream's before walking to the door. Dream walked after him and they both slipped out of the door. Dream grabbed and handed George some of their knives so that they could begin to prepare meat from the cow.

"By the way...you're sure you're not mad at me for bringing Awesamdude here right?" George suddenly asked, looking at Dream intently. Dream carefully avoided George's stare as he started cutting.

"I'm not mad at you, George. I'm just wary of that guy," Dream answered after a moment and George hummed. Dream didn't want to talk about the other man so he carefully changed the subject, "Oh, Bad had an idea about the nether portal that he told me about..."

"Oh really?" George blinked over at Dream in surprise, "What's that?"

Dream explained everything Bad told him earlier and George listened with a deep look in his eyes, "You're probably right Dream. It'd be faster for us to mine obsidian than trying to find a village with a cleric that would sell to us."

"Yeah," Dream nodded, "We still have those diamonds from the cave. I think I can make a pickaxe. I haven't told Bad yet but I'm thinking it might be easier to go in the cave we went to before."

"Because of the lava pool that was there?" George asked carefully, glancing at Dream, "We'd have to be very careful not to get too close to the lava and get burned or worse."

"True," Dream hummed and then smiled at George, "We'll bring lots of extra water just in case."

George smiled back, "That'll help. I know of a plant that you can crush into a cream that'll help burns too. I can try to find some around here if there's any."

Dream looked at George in surprise, "You know something like that? You're amazing!"

The blush that blossomed on George's face made him look so beautiful that Dream wasn't aware he was staring open-mouthed until George playfully pushed his hand against Dream's masked face, pushing him away a little, "Oh w-whatever Dream! It's not...I'm just..."

"And you say you don't know much," Dream teased, smirking, "Seems like you know more than me, Georgie."

"I...well I only know some things that you don't," George replied, looking embarrassed but he boldly looked into Dream's eyes, "And I don't know more than you Dream. You're...it's like you're good at e _verything_ you try to do Dream. It's kind of annoying really."

Dream laughed, almost wheezing and for some reason George's face brightened as he smiled warmly. Dream continued laughing and pressed his side into George's, "Aww, thanks George~!"

George rolled his eyes but he still had a blush and an affectionate grin on his face. Dream felt better than he had the past few weeks.

* * *

After an hour passed George and Dream finished gathering enough meat to last them for weeks. George was cooking the meat while Bad worked on a campfire. Awesamdude was helping Bad and seemed to be fitting in with their friend quite well. Dream disposed of the carcass and began to plaster himself to George's side since.

George felt immensely relieved that Dream wasn't uncomfortable or upset with him in any way. He also reassured George that he wasn't getting tired of him. That was George's biggest fear. George was so happy to have a normal conversation with Dream again while they were preparing meat and for some reason, Dream was going out of his way to spend time with George.

"We should dry and salt some of the meat so we can pack it away," Dream told him while doing just what he said. George giggled.

"I was going to anyway, but thanks for helping me," George grinned, snickering at him. Dream rolled his eyes and once he packed away the rest of meat he walked towards the couch, "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna work on something else while you finish dinner," Dream smirked, pulling out the bones from his pack and knife. It was starting to take shape but before George could study it, Dream shifted, frowning at him, "Don't watch me, dude. It's a surprise."

"And I can't know?" George pouted, crossing his arms across his chest. 

"It's a surprise for _you_ ," Dream amended as he stared at George, who blinked before turning red.

"O-Oh...for me? Well, thanks, uh, Dream," George stammered and promptly wished he could slam his face on the counter. Why was he so awkward? Dream only snickered at him before turning around and working again.

A sudden thought came to George. What the _hell_ kind of surprise is Dream making from bones? _Human_ skeleton bones? George turned to stare at Dream's back in confusion. He nearly jumped two feet in the air when Bad and Awesamdude suddenly burst through the door. Bad laughed at George, "We finished with the campfire! Is dinner almost ready?"

"I'm cooking our meat right now," George muttered, glancing between the two, "Should be done in a few minutes."

"Nice!" Awesamdude grinned cheerfully and George smiled, "I'm really glad I met you guys. You seem really cool!"

"Thanks," Bad and George said simultaneously before laughing. George glanced over at Dream, but his back was still to them as he worked on the surprise. Bad skipped over to Dream then.

"Whatcha making, Dream?" Bad tilted his head curiously and George felt a strange ache in his chest when Dream carefully showed him without exposing it to George, "And you're making it from bone because...?"

"Why not?" Dream asked in confusion like that wasn't weird at all and it made George chuckle hysterically. Dream was _so_ weird. Dream's eyes wandered to George and he smiled. It made George choke on his last chuckle.

"So George..." Awesamdude trailed off and George turned his attention to him, not noticing how Dream tensed and stared at Awesamdude with apprehension, "How long have you guys been traveling together?"

"Little over a month," George answered with a small smile, wondering why he singled him out to ask that question.

"Nice, I see," Awesamdude grinned as he leaned against the wall, "How did you meet these guys?"

"Umm..." George glanced at Bad and Dream, startled to see them staring at Awesamdude with some expression he couldn't decipher, though Dream looked a lot less friendly than Bad did, "Well Dream and I started traveling after I helped him out. We found Bad and now we're just all traveling together."

He realized how awkward that was and blushed a little. Awesamdude chuckled jokingly, "So I'm not the first stranger you've helped then."

"Of course not," George laughed, rolling his eyes.

They exchanged a little more small talk but George still felt awkward for some reason. Well, one reason was that he was trying hard not to reveal too much. Dream had put away his 'surprise' and was actively participating in the conversation now but George could tell that Dream did not like Awesamdude and vice versa. It seemed like their first impression didn't go well for whatever reason.

And Awesamdude proved to be even more random than Dream when he grabbed George's face suddenly in the middle of a conversation about Awesamdude's blue eyes, "Dude, are one of _your_ eyes blue or am I seeing things?"

"Huh?" George spluttered, surprised and confused that he was suddenly touching his face, "M-My eyes are brown..."

And then there was a sharp _thwack_ and cracking noise. George jumped and so did Awesamdude, who turned in shock. George gasped to see a knife sticking in the wall behind where Awesamdude's head had been previously. All eyes turned to Dream, who looked sheepish, "Oops, guess it slipped out of my hands!"

Bad was shaking but his face was hidden by his hands. George didn't think he was scared, in fact, it was almost as if Bad was _desperately_ trying to smother laughter. Awesamdude looked at Dream with huge eyes before he grinned a forceful grin, "Wow, what force for such an _accident_."

Tension quickly filled the air and George backed away in confusion, "Uh, the meat is...uh yeah it's ready!"

George was pulling out the meat when Awesamdude spoke up again, "Sorry for making you uncomfortable, George. My mom always used to tell me I had no sense of boundaries. I was just curious."

"It's alright...you just surprised me," George soothed but felt hesitant. It wasn't the same as when Dream grabbed his face. Was that normal or was that just because he knew Dream better?

"Sorry," Awesamdude laughed, "I swore I saw some blue in one of your eyes. Not the full color but like flicks of blue in one of them. I thought it was cool."

"I haven't noticed any color other than brown," George shrugged, trying to relax around the thick tension in the air. Dream startled him when he walked up to George and grabbed his wrist.

"Let me help you carry those George," Dream said softly, standing in such a way that he was in front of Awesamdude, "Then we can go eat outside around the campfire Bad built."

George quirked an eyebrow. Did Dream just ignore the fact that Awesamdude helped Bad with the campfire? George sighed and nodded his head, figuring not to cause anymore scenes with Dream and Awesamdude by just agreeing with Dream. Dream began to pull him past the other male and out of the house.

To his part, Awesamdude merely looked amused, like everything that happened was just good entertainment, so George was lucky that Awesamdude wasn't easily angered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for jealous Dream or George! 😉😊
> 
> Anyways, I don't know what Awesamdude actually looks like and he might be a little out of character here to suit my story needs, haha! Hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think! 💕💕


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group learns more about Awesamdude as they finish up their work. George comforts Dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you've had a good time during your holidays! I'm finally back home and can get back into the swing of things! 💕😊
> 
> Also there's a lot of summarized time skip in this because I felt that my story was slowing down more than I intended at these parts so I wanted to speed it up a little. Let me know if you're confused about anything!

George managed to distract Dream long enough by the campfire that the thick tension that surrounded him before dissipated. This only lasted until Bad and Awesamdude joined them around the campfire. Awesamdude sat close to George like he wasn't going to let Dream's hostility bother him and George definitely thought Sam was braver them him. Dream could be so intimidating with that mask. 

Dream glared at Awesamdude when he sat on George's other side but decided not to say anything mainly because he was afraid of what was going to come out of his mouth if he did. That and Dream knew he was being sort of unreasonable. George seemed more uncomfortable with how he was acting towards Awesamdude than the guy's advances.

"So good!" Awesamdude brightened as they all ate silently around the campfire. George jumped at the sudden exclamation before smiling.

"Thanks," George said as he continued to eat, quickly looking away. He peeked at Dream's face but couldn't see his expression with the mask in the way. He fought the urge to sigh. Dream's discomfort with Awesamdude seemed a little different and George didn't really understand why.

They finished eating in peace and as Dream helped George throw away the scraps, Bad turned to Awesamdude, "You know...I'm curious. You're a wandering trader right...? What do you trade exactly?"

Dream and George froze, looking towards Awesamdude, who appeared caught off guard. He then smiled slightly, "It varies. I don't know about other wandering traders you may have come across but I usually carry items related to red stone!"

Bad's eyes widened comically, "Red stone? That's pretty hard to get since, like diamonds, it's found deep underground!"

"Yeah, well, it's not that hard," Awesamdude laughed easily, "I guess it would be if you weren't used to mining for it. It's easier to find once you're deep enough unlike diamonds."

"Really?" George asked skeptically and Awesamdude's smile widened as he nodded, "Do you get good business selling red stone items?"

Awesamdude laughed again, "Well, I don't get rich off of it but I make enough to live comfortably. That's only when I sell my trade in big villages! I'm sort of an expert on red stone contraptions. I've made my own designs too!"

"Red stone contraptions?" Dream questioned, his eyes narrowing in confusion, "I don't really know much about red stone...what do you mean when you say contraptions?"

"Hmm, how do I explain...?" Awesamdude trailed off, staring at the ground in concentration, "I mean that I know how to make machinery that can work with red stone...uh maybe that doesn't make sense. Well for example, I recently invented a way to make a secret entrance using red stone, levers, and other contraptions. It's complicated to explain to others."

"A secret entrance?!" Bad and George exclaimed simultaneously while Dream's mouth parted in surprise. 

"I didn't know things like that were possible," George gasped and Awesamdude's chest puffed out proudly, "That's amazing!"

Bad snickered when Dream stiffened and looked at George's face. Awesamdude and George didn't notice Dream's reaction. Awesamdude grinned as he looked at George as well, "Thanks! It's tricky and it always takes me years to perfect my inventions but I like working with red stone so..."

"So you're also an inventor then?" Bad asked and Awesamdude chuckled as he nodded, "That's pretty impressive. So you travel from big villages to offer your services and inventions then?"

"Something like that," Awesamdude shrugged, looking nonchalant, "I live in a pretty prosperous village, it's basically a city. I get requests from other villages to sell my items or to help them install red stone contraptions I've made. That's my main source of emerald making! Trading is just something I do as I travel which is a lot."

"Awesome," George murmured as he continued to look impressed. However, Dream's eyebrow twitched as Awesamdude's words actually registered in his brain.

"Wait," Dream spoke up and all three males turned to look at him in surprise, "You said you live in a prosperous village that's basically a city...there's only one village I've heard of recently that's like that....do you live in Technoblade's village?"

Awesamdude's eyes grew round and Bad gasped like that just registered to him as well. George's eyes widened as he looked from Dream to Awesamdude, who eyed Dream with an unreadable expression, "You....know Technoblade?"

"We met him a few weeks ago," Bad butted in as he suddenly looked excited, "So that means you do? You live in Technoblade's land?!"

"I...y-yes I do," Awesamdude suddenly seemed a bit wary but he smiled all the same, "So you guys know Technoblade...how did you meet him?"

Bad and George immediately looked at Dream. Dream went quiet but his eyes were trained on Awesamdude and he decided to tell the truth...mostly, "Bad already had contact with him and we met up with him for some information..."

Awesamdude rose an eyebrow, "I thought you guys were just traveling with no clear goal? Technoblade only gives information to certain people and usually only if their situation is important enough for it."

The thick tension from before filled the air again and George froze, glancing at Dream nervously. Bad, however, seemed to make some sort of internal decision as he stared at Awesamdude before turning to Dream, "I think we can tell him a little bit more of the truth, Dream."

Dream whirled his masked face to stare at Bad in shock, "What?!"

"He's Technoblade's ally and he's given us no reason not to trust him. I'm not saying we should tell him everything but it wouldn't hurt to tell him why we're traveling," Bad narrowed his eyes as he explained this to Dream and George shifted anxiously. Awesamdude just looked confused but remained silent.

Dream remained tense but he sighed, "Fine....okay fine..."

Bad turned to Awesamdude with a serious expression, "We're looking for a pillager group that wears crescent-shaped tattoos on their necks."

Awesamdude's expression morphed from surprise to deep thoughtful confusion, "A pillager group? Why are you looking for a pillager group...? I can't say I've heard of them..."

"They...they took people we care about," Bad added and he was unable to hide his sad expression as he thought of his lover again. Dream watched Awesamdude's face like a hawk. George just frowned to see Bad looking sad again, "From what we know they're pillaging villages and taking the young people captive."

"What?!" Awesamdude squawked, his expression suddenly livid. His reaction made even Dream jump. No one was expecting that reaction exactly, "That's awful! What the hell?"

"Technoblade was helping us with information about that group," Bad carefully explained, not giving too much away, "Right now we're preparing to go into the nether...."

Awesamdude's mouth dropped open and he stared at Bad like he suddenly sprouted a plant on his head, "The nether?!"

"We have almost everything we need to go," George spoke up, smiling slightly at Awesamdude's funny expression, "We just need obsidian for the portal itself."

They all went quiet and Dream realized Awesamdude was staring thoughtfully into the campfire flames like he was deciding on something. Bad caught Dream's eyes and smiled as if to say 'see he's not a bad guy is he?' and Dream rolled his eyes. He couldn't help but agree. Awesamdude may have been a little too curious for his liking and he hated how Awesamdude seemed to flirt with George but he couldn't deny that Awesamdude was a good guy so far.

"Sorry...I'd help you but I don't have obsidian for trade," Awesamdude finally spoke up and George laughed.

"We weren't expecting you to have any or to give us some," George grinned and Awesamdude smiled, "We have diamonds so we're just going to have to go mining."

"Yeah I did have an idea to use buckets of water and lava but it'd impossible to make a portal like that without melting our skin off," Bad added jokingly and Awesamdude blinked at him.

"Oh yeah...that's true. Water and lava makes obsidian," Awesamdude said out loud as if he were just considering that. This made everyone laugh, including Dream, much to George's surprise, "You'd be able to do it if you had fire resistance potions!"

"That's what Dream and I talked about," Bad snickered at Dream who chuckled again, "None of us know how to make it and we don't know any clerics that could make it for us without charging us our weight in emeralds for it though."

Awesamdude burst out laughing, "Ah right...that would be hard to..." Awesamdude trailed off as he stopped laughing and suddenly looked shocked as if a sudden thought came to him.

"You alright?" George asked with an eyebrow raised. Awesamdude whirled around to face him and the sudden movement made George flinch.

"I know a guy! A cleric! Uh, we're sort of friends and he owes me some favors!" Awesamdude stammered as his eyes widened further. Bad and Dream froze as his words registered, "His village is probably four hours from here but he'd be able to make some of those potions for you!"

"W-Wait really?!" George gasped, unable to believe their luck.

"Even so...would he even help us?" Dream questioned in disbelief. Awesamdude grinned brightly.

"Yeah! Like I said, he owes me a favor and I could write him a note so he'd know it's me asking for the favor for you guys!" Awesamdude explained as he grew more excited.

"Why...." Dream stopped talked abruptly, making all three guys looked at him in confusion. Dream clenched his fists and looked away from them. George noticed that Dream was shaking slightly and that worried him.

"Are you asking why I'd help you?" Awesamdude retorted with slight amusement, "The answers simple! George helped me out big time in the forest and I owe him one! This'll be me helping you in return. I give you some of my emeralds to give to my friend to make the favor more even for him as well."

"N-No, you don't have to do all that for us!" George stammered, clearly shocked. Awesamdude was already reaching into his pack and pulling out a big pouch. He opened it and Bad was floored by how much emeralds he was carrying with him.

"You're lucky you haven't been robbed!" Bad cried out and Awesamdude laughed, "What the muffin!"

"It's not like no body's tried," Awesamdude gestured to his injured leg. He poured a decent amount of emeralds into George's hand and forced George's hand closed around it with a laugh, "That technically isn't enough for potions but with that plus the favor he owes me, you should be able to get your potion and thus you should be able to make a nether portal!"

"Thank you so much!" George beamed and Awesamdude grinned, nodding his head. Bad glanced at Dream, who was still looking off to the side. It was impossible to see his expression, "You don't know how much this'll help us!"

"Well I'm glad. Like you said George, if it were me I'd want someone to help me out," Awesamdude smirked and George blinked before laughing brightly, "Let me write and sign that note to my friend so you can have proof. Also, do you guys have a map? I'll mark his village for you."

"We do, thanks," Bad smiled, rummaging in his pack for Dream's map before handing it over once he found it.

Awesamdude signed a note and marked their map for them. They talked for a little while longer before deciding to rest for the night. Dream hadn't said a word the whole entire time but no one commented on it.

* * *

It wasn't until they were alone in the bedroom that George worked up the courage to ask Dream what was bothering him. He rolled over on the bed and looked at Dream's back. Dream always slept on the outside of the bed so that he could easily get out if he needed which left George by the wall. It didn't really bother him to sleep by the wall though.

"Uh...Dream?" George whispered as he clenched and unclenched his hand anxiously, debating whether or not to grab his friend's arm to get his attention. He flinched when Dream rolled over and looked at him silently. It was hard to tell with his mask still on but he seemed a bit blank, "What's wrong Dream? You got quiet earlier...and something seems to be bothering you...you can tell me. I-If you want that is."

He immediately felt stupid for trailing off so much and for stammering but Dream looked at his face, "Yeah...sorry. I guess I...just don't understand..."

"You don't understand what...?" George asked with concern. Dream shifted and laid his head on his own arm before he glanced back at George.

"I just don't understand why people keep helping when they don't know the person..." Dream muttered, looking away from George's face with a conflicting look in his eyes, "You, Bad, Technoblade, Awesamdude, even random villagers like that one guy Punz."

George felt his heart squeeze in his chest, "There are still good people in the world Dream...honest to God people that just like helping others."

Dream looked at him dead in the eye then, "Yeah...I guess there are. _You're_ one of them."

George blushed but smiled, feeling a bit happy that Dream thought of him as a good person. He tries to be, "Thanks Dream. You're one of them too."

"I'm not," Dream denied immediately and George blinked, looking at Dream with a startled expression, "Not like you. I wouldn't help just anyone and....and I'm not that great of a person."

"That's not true," George muttered, frowning at Dream, "You are a good person, Dream. You've helped me and Bad plenty of times. I know you're the type of person that would help others...you are just more suspicious and wary of people but there's nothing wrong with that."

Dream hummed and George didn't know if he believed him or not. Dream frowned, "I guess I'm not used to people being so...helpful. Not without expecting things in return..."

George frowned sadly, "Dream...you've experienced people like that?"

"Over the years," Dream nodded, frowning as well, "It feels weird to suddenly be meeting so many people that'll just help for no reason."

"It's not for _no_ reason," George smiled a bit, "Awesamdude wants to help because I helped him."

Dream scowled at the mention of Awesamdude and George rose an eyebrow, "Yeah I guess so..."

"Why do you act like that? I don't understand why you don't like him, especially since he's offered so much help," George said softly as he felt mild annoyance at not understanding something. It made him feel stupid and oblivious. Maybe he was...

"I...I don't hate him and I'm appreciative of his help..." Dream trailed off, unable to look George in the face, "I guess I don't like the way he acts around you...?"

"Oh...like when you threw that knife when he touched my face?" George retorted with amusement. Dream turned red and groaned, "That was a bit psycho by the way. He wasn't going to hurt me."

Dream muttered something he couldn't hear under his breath before sighing, "Yeah I know that now."

Things went quiet and George watched Dream stare at him thoughtfully, "What? Do I look weird right now or something?"

George's eyes widened and he almost bit his tongue on his last word when Dream suddenly leaned his masked face closer to his and stared him dead in the eyes, "D-Dream?"

"He was right...you do have a bit of blue in one of your eyes," Dream announced and George felt himself turning red while his stomach fluttered nervously, "It's only in one of your eyes though."

"O-Oh..."

"Sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?" Dream asked as he leaned back and George swallowed, shaking his head.

"No..." He lied and glanced up at Dream's face, wishing he could see what kind of faces Dream was making, "Can...can you take off your mask?"

Dream's eyes widened before he rose an eyebrow in confusion, "Why?"

"N-Never mind..." George stammered, resisting the urge to roll around and push him face into his pillow. Dream frowned.

"Well now I'm curious..." Dream said and then he smirked, "Do you want to look at my face? Is that it?"

"No!" George flushed, scowling at him as a rush of embarrassment flooded him. Dream laughed but, much to George's surprise, he reached back to unclasp his mask. George's mouth went dry. He didn't expect Dream to actually take it off.

"All you have to do is ask," Dream teased as he pulled the mask away from his face and placed it on the ground by the bed. He turned back and George took in all the features he remembered.

George's eyes roamed over his angular jawline and full lips before glancing at the galaxy of freckles that formed a trail from his cheeks over his nose. He blinked when he realized Dream's cheeks were turning pink and it was because he was still staring at Dream's face. George blushed himself and blurted, "I-I like your freckles!"

Dream blinked at him and that's when George noticed his thick eyelashes. Dream was unfairly beautiful and it made George feel pale in comparison, "Really? You like them?"

"Y-Yeah," George nodded and his eyes widened again when Dream smiled warmly, like he was really happy to hear that. George felt a full body shiver take over him and he rolled over quickly, "Well goodnight!" 

He winced. He said that way too loudly but he was starting to feel weird from looking at Dream. George clenched his shaking hands and swallowed, closing his eyes to calm himself. Dream shifted behind him and chuckled a couple of times, "Goodnight Georgie. Sleep well."

George really hoped his weird behavior wasn't noticeable by Dream. Things just got normal between them and George didn't want to ruin that with his weird reactions. Maybe he should talk to Bad about it.

* * *

The next day felt as if it went by way too quickly to George. Things went along smoothly now that there wasn't much lingering tension between Dream and Awesamdude. In fact, it seemed like Dream was in high spirits for some reason and George wondered if that meant Dream accepted Awesamdude a little more.

Dream continued to work on George's armor set and Bad continued to help. George practiced archery close by and Awesamdude alternated between keeping him company and keeping Dream and Bad company. It felt nice. After a nice lunch Dream informed George and Bad that he wanted to use the diamonds they got to make himself a sword, since they wouldn't need a pickaxe now that they had a different plan for the nether portal. Bad was skeptical at first but George told Dream to go for it. He imagined how much more deadly Dream would be with a diamond sword.

The rest of that day went by just as peacefully. As Bad and Dream continued to work, Awesamdude helped George make more arrows and praised him for his crafting skills. Something about that made George's whole month. Someone skilled like Awesamdude praising him made it feel like it was the truth, that maybe he really was good at something. George was smiling the whole rest of that day.

At night, when it was just them two, Dream took off his mask again without George asking him to this time. George was a little more used to his reactions to Dream's face by then but that didn't make it any less difficult to deal with. Dream would tell him short little stories about him and Sapnap and George would find himself distracted by either Dream's expression or his lips. Still it was nice that Dream was comfortable showing him his face now.

It was like he was giving George a whole new level of trust and George was determined to keep it and not ruin it.

The second day went by just as quickly as the first. Awesamdude noticeably spent more time with George then from helping him hunt for food to gathering firewood and helping him make more arrows and bandages. Dream managed to finish George's armor set and that was the biggest highlight of the day.

All three of them tried on the iron armor sets that Dream made. Their measurements turned out to be perfect and it fit them pretty well. The iron itself wasn't perfectly smooth but that was alright, it would suit their needs. The only thing about it that George wasn't expecting was just how heavy it was on his small body. Dream just laughed and told him he'd get used to it.

After making sure the armor was up to their standards, Dream excitedly began working on his diamond sword. Bad was still nervous that they should make a diamond pickaxe anyway but he couldn't protest too much with how excited Dream was to make his own diamond sword. Awesamdude surprised them by helping a bit.

But then the sun showed signs of going down and Awesamdude decided he would leave the next morning.

"We'll probably be staying a couple more days. Are you sure you don't want to stay and heal more?" George asked worriedly as he gazed at his leg. Awesamdude grinned.

"Technoblade is expecting me back by the end of this week. He'll start sending search parties if I'm gone too long," Awesamdude laughed out and Dream snickered at the image in his head.

"Well we wouldn't want that," Bad laughed in amusement as well. George rolled his eyes. Awesamdude stopped laughing and smiled at the three.

"You know...when you're done looking for that group and all....you should come to Technoblade's village. I could vouch for you guys!" Awesamdude said excitedly as he clenched his hands into fists, "You're all talented so you'd fit right in living there!"

Dream and Bad went quiet in surprise while George blinked at being included in the 'talented' bit. He smiled shortly after, "I guess we'll see how it goes after we do what we need to do."

"Yeah!" Awesamdude cheered, smiling at George before he turned to Bad and Dream, "I don't know the whole story, but I hope you find your loved ones!"

Bad smiled warmly and Dream couldn't help but also smile as they both thanked him. They ate their cooked dinner in a lively manner before heading to bed that night.

And once again, Dream took off his mask as they prepared for bed and George really wanted to ask him why he was suddenly taking his mask off so much when he never wanted to before. Eventually his curiosity outweighed the part of him that was worried he'd make Dream self-conscious and want to put the mask on again, "Hey Dream?"

"Yeah?" Dream responded as he took off the fingerless gloves he was wearing.

"Why are you taking off your mask every night? I thought you didn't like taking it off..." George commented, biting his lip. Dream paused and turned to look at George. Something in George's expression made Dream smile.

"I don't mind taking it off in front of you..." Dream answered as he stared at George, waiting for his reaction. George blinked as he processed what he said.

"So you wouldn't if we were sleeping around a campfire with Bad like before?" George asked for clarification. Dream smirked.

"No probably not...I know Bad's seen my face that one time but I wouldn't really feel comfortable," Dream explained as he finished taking off his gloves and moved to climb into the bed. George moved to make sure there was plenty of room for him.

"Not that I'm complaining but why is taking it off in front of me any different?" George questioned as he brow furrowed. He was sure Dream caught him studying Dream's face like twenty times by now. Wasn't he uncomfortable about that?

Dream chuckled, "I don't know...you are different. I'm comfortable around you. I feel more relaxed? So it doesn't bother me. Does it bother you or something?"

'Not in the way you're probably thinking' George thought to himself before glancing at Dream's face, "No it doesn't bother me."

"Okay," Dream replied as his expression morphed into a hesitant one, "Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure," George nodded but he was inwardly panicking for some reason. Did he notice any weird behavior? George wasn't sure he'd know how to answer Dream about that when even he hasn't figured it out yet.

"Earlier when Awesamdude was talking about us living in Technoblade's village....you seemed happy about that," Dream stated uncertainly, watching George carefully, "I guess I was just wondering if you were wanting to leave with Awesamdude...or something..."

George's eyes widened at the unexpected question, "What?! No! Why'd you ask that?"

Dream looked so immensely relieved that it shocked George further. Was he really worried about something like that? "Well, you've been getting along with Awesamdude and you seemed excited when he mentioned it...I don't know. It's silly."

"I was kind of excited at the idea that we'd have a place to go after all this...you know?" George replied shyly and Dream's eyes lit up in understanding.

"Oh I see...yeah I guess that is reassuring," Dream laughed, feeling stupid all of a sudden, "I didn't think of it like that."

"Yeah..." George laughed with him.

"Maybe we could...after we find Sapnap and Skeppy," Dream grinned and George blinked at him, "I wouldn't mind seeing what Techno's village looks like."

George smiled brightly, "Yeah! I've never seen a village like they're describing before."

"They call it something like a city," Dream mused as he looked thoughtful, "I haven't seen a village that was that big either."

George and Dream continued talking late into the night. Dream was in the middle of telling a story about his little sister when he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. He paused and glanced down. His heart became full at the sight that greeted him. George had finally given in to sleep and his head drooped, falling onto Dream's shoulder.

Dream's heart fluttered pleasantly in his chest and he carefully maneuvered the two to lie down from where they were sitting propped up against the bedframe. Once they were lying down, Dream shifted so he could look at George's face. George was really cute. His small porcelain like features never failed to draw Dream in. His pale skin looked so much better than his own tan skin.

George had such cute boyish features and Dream was a bit jealous of how effortlessly good-looking the shorter male was. He huffed before smiling to himself as he brought one of his fingers to rub George's cheek. To his surprise, George flinched ever so slightly and let out a soft groan before shuffling on the bed.

The soft groan and George's movement made Dream's eyes widened as his face heated up and he felt that heat travel down below. Dream sucked in a breath and immediately rolled over, willing himself not to get too excited and ruin everything. He couldn't help but replay George's soft groan over and over again in his mind. Dream sighed and scowled at himself.

Trying to reign in his feelings and desire was so far harder than anything he's ever had to do. Unfairly so!

* * *

The next morning George woke up extra early to make sure he could see Awesamdude off. Dream wasn't far behind him but he looked like he hardly gotten any rest, which George felt briefly guilty for. They talked until late last night after all. He was distracted from looking at Dream when they joined up with Bad, who was already helping Awesamdude double-check his belongings to make sure he wasn't leaving anything behind.

"George! Dream!" Awesamdude grinned as he shrugged on his large pack, "I wasn't gonna leave without saying goodbye!"

George grinned and walked towards him while Dream just blinked at the friendly grin that apparently included him. He knew he didn't exactly treat Awesamdude like a person should but apparently that wasn't enough to derail the cheerful guy's politeness. George gasped when Awesamdude hugged him once he was close enough.

"I'm really glad I met you guys. Thanks for letting me rest up here!" Awesamdude said with a smile as he parted from the hug. His smile widened when he saw the briefest twitch of Dream's eyebrow and he stepped a bit further away from George.

"No problem," Bad laughed out, "Thank you for all your help as well!"

"Yeah thank you," George added and Awesamdude beamed, doing a little salute.

"Common courtesy my dudes," He laughed before sobering up, "My offer for that vouch still stands. If you need somewhere to go then you should totally come to Techno's village!"

"We'll definitely think about it," Dream suddenly butted in, surprising them. Awesamdude smiled at Dream, happy to see that the masked man wasn't as hostile towards him as he was before.

"Awesome. Well I better get a good head start," Awesamdude said as he glanced at the woods behind him, "Good luck with finding your loved ones! Send a note to Techno's if you ever need my help again."

George noticed that same dazed look that Dream had the night before and smiled in understanding. Dream was still sort of floored that people could genuinely want to help others without requesting things in return. It also made George sad. How many people expected things from Dream over the years when he was just a kid looking for his best friend then?

He didn't allow himself to get too worked up as they bid Awesamdude farewell. George waved at his new friend until he was finally out of sight, hidden by the woods. Bad cleared his throat, "Well guys, guess we better get back to work. Dream still has to finish his sword."

"I think I should be done in a couple of days," Dream grinned as he eyed the blacksmith platform, "Then we can leave for that village Awesamdude mentioned."

"Yeah...it's kind of crazy that my plan is gonna work after all," Bad beamed, obviously pleased with himself, "Though I'm still a bit wary. We have suspiciously good luck. I keep getting reminded of what Skeppy always told me."

George smiled, "What? That people who have too much good luck will have a big misfortune happen to them?"

"Yeah..." Bad nodded, his face morphing into something serious when he saw Dream and George's smile, "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that things are working out so well but.....Skeppy might be onto something..."

"Don't worry about anything you don't have to worry about Bad," George warned, not wanting his friend to get too worked up.

"We'll just handle a bad situation if it happens, okay?" Dream soothed and Bad sighed before smiling.

"Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's really saying something that Bad, who is usually optimistic, is so worried about something happening....
> 
> Thank you for all support! Sorry this chapter was a little shorter than I usually like but I've been pretty busy! 💕💞💖


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys find the cleric they're looking for while George reveals just how protective he is of his friends and Dream proves that his odd confidence in himself is not just for show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I got really excited for this chapter for some reason so I made time to finish it and get it out earlier than I usually do!
> 
> Thank you so much for all your support! This story has almost 350 kudos and like 65 bookmarks, that's insane! Thank you again!! I hope you enjoy the chapter! 💖💜💗

By the time Dream finished making his diamond sword, the weather worsened into frequent rain showers and terribly cold winds. If they weren't so eager and hell-bent on getting on with their little mission to the nether, George figured they probably would have stayed longer in the abandoned village before venturing on to the village Awesamdude marked out for them.

  
However, Dream and Bad _were_ extremely eager and excited to which George could understand. They were getting closer to the answers they sought about their loved ones, after all, and for Dream- _he'd been waiting years._ So George understood that, despite the terrible weather, they wanted to press forward pretty much the morning Dream finished making his sword.

  
So they dawned on their newly made iron armor and the thick furry blankets George managed to make from cow hides and continued North out of the forest and away from the temporary shelter they'd been staying at for the past few weeks. George was sort of sad to see it go but even _he_ had to admit he was intrigued to hurry and enter the nether. He'd heard all kinds of rumors and stories growing up so, despite the danger, George felt a sense of excitement at the idea of exploring something new.

  
And he wasn't alone in that regard. Their whole trip through the cold rain, Bad excitedly shared everything that he'd read about the nether. Dream and George both knew a lot of what he already read about _except_ for numerous creatures that apparently existed in the nether if what Bad read was correct.

  
"So you're telling me that there are actual _pigmen_ in the nether?" George asked incredulously as he gaped toward his right side, where Bad was currently walking. Since it was so cold and they were all unavoidably wet, they were walking close together to help keep warm.

  
"According to one of my books, yeah," Bad grinned at George's expression and continued to relay a description his book had of said creatures.

  
"That's....gross," Dream blinked, unable to come up with a better word for his thoughts and Bad laughed. George grimaced in disgust.

  
"Zombie-like pigmen...walking around all decomposed? That'll be a scary sight," George sighed and Bad sobered up before nodding in agreement.

  
"True...which is why I wanted to tell you guys about the creatures I've read up on. Maybe we'll be more prepared when we enter the nether," Bad explained as Dream hummed, stretching his arms out in front of him. He barely avoided hitting George, whom he was walking beside, due to how close they were all walking.

  
"But from what you've said they don't attack you unless _you_ attack them," Dream spoke up and Bad looked down as he walked thoughtfully.

  
"Yeah, the pigmen won't hurt you unless you hit them," Bad agreed before looking serious suddenly, "But I think I read somewhere that regular pigmen...the _piglins_ I think they're called, will probably attack you."

  
"Great," George groaned, crossing his arms when he felt the hair on them raise up from goosebumps.

  
"I don't think I'm too worried about them," Dream wrinkled his nose just visibly enough behind his mask.

  
"I'm more worried about some creature called a magma cube," Bad pursed his lips, an anxious look to his green eyes, "They're like slime monsters but kind of made from lava? So they burn you if they touch you and they're annoying like slime because they split apart."

  
"You're making me regret coming along on this little mission," George paled and for some reason Dream laughed, placing a hand on George's head.

  
"Don't worry. We'll avoid what we can," Dream snickered when George shot him a dubious look, "And I'll protect you."

  
George felt his cheeks turn pink and he turned his head away. He didn't doubt Dream at all, "Okay..."

  
"Just don't leave me behind," Bad muttered under his breath jokingly but Dream heard him and rolled his eyes.

  
They got a little quiet after that as Bad felt a little guilty for freaking George out about the nether creatures. The wind picked up and, even through their iron armor and thick blankets, George felt the chill in his bones.

  
"Ugh, I hate this wind!" George complained as he curled his blanket tighter around his shoulders. Dream looked at him sympathetically and moved to curl one of his arms around his shoulders, tugging George into his side. 

  
George blinked and looked at Dream's masked face. Dream simply smiled and adjusted his own blanket to help share his body warmth with George as they walked. George didn't say anything but his heart began racing from being pressed against Dream.

  
Bad glanced at the two before being torn between squealing at how cute they were to snickering at Dream's obvious show of affection that George failed to see as anything other than friendly. He pulled out Dream's map from his pack carefully, as he'd been the one to carry it for some time now, and studied it slowly.

  
"I think we still have at least another hour and a half to go," Bad announced as he continued to stare at the map. He drew the other two's attention, "Well that is to say if this map is accurate. I trust Awesamdude though."

  
"Hopefully the village is warm," George sighed but felt thankful to Dream when he felt the slight chill dissipating, "I'm surprised it's not snowing."

  
"It's no where _near_ as cold as it usually gets George," Dream laughed, amused by the smaller male. He unconsciously tugged George even closer to his side.

  
George shot him a disgruntled look, "You're kidding."

  
"He's not actually," Bad snickered as he folded up Dream's map again. George eyes widened as he looked between both of them. Dream chuckled.

  
"Well that's just great then," George grumbled.

  
"Don't worry George! Whenever you get too cold we can just cuddle," Dream said teasingly and his grin widened when George's eyes went round and he turned red, looking at Dream in surprise.

  
"T-This is sort of helping," George replied quietly, looking down at the ground to avoid Dream's eyes, "Thanks."

  
Bad held his tongue. They really were too cute but Bad didn't want to accidentally say anything to give away Dream's feelings for George. He did, however, really want to talk to George and figure out what George's feelings were towards Dream. Poor guy must be kind of confused considering his lack of physical and social contact.

  
"We can handle the cold guys," Bad shook his head from his thoughts and smiled at his friends, "C'mon we're almost there!"

* * *

The rain finally stopped just minutes before Dream spotted the village they were searching for. It was fairly open with only a few trees here and there so it was easy to make out. It was also fairly average considering the size of the last two villages they were in. Not that George was complaining.

  
"Yes!" Dream cheered and the loudness of it made George wince, leaning away from him, "C'mon let's go!"

  
Needing no more prompting, Bad and Dream took off like they were racing. George was quick to run after them but at his own pace. His clothes were still wet and it was still slightly chilly. He shivered and the weight of his iron armor was already making his body ache.

  
George followed his two friends as they all but ran until they reached the path in front of the village. George was glad they stopped when they did. He was sure the villagers of this village wouldn't want a couple of hooded strangers running into their village like that. 

  
"The church is at that end," Bad said as he gestured to the right before waving at a villager who walked past and noticed them. The villager's eyes widened at them before he fast-walked away. George snickered as he caught up to his friends.

  
"Then let's go, lead the way!" Dream grinned over at Bad, shuffling his feet almost impatiently. He was so excited he wasn't noticing the growing tenseness in the air as more villagers became aware of their presence.

  
It wasn't until they started walking towards the path on the right that a harsh male voice yelled out, "Stop right there!!"

  
George whirled around along with his two friends and he paled at the sight of several village men with various weapons. He realized that most of them were looking at _Dream_ though. Dream startled and immediately raised a hand towards his new diamond sword.

  
"We don't want any trouble stranger!" The same male voice called out, his tone and stance hostile as he tried to figure out if Dream was a threat or not. George felt a surge of nausea hit him and he tensed at the term.

  
"Neither do we," Dream replied calmly as he stepped closer to place himself in front of George and Bad instead of being just beside them, "We're not here to hurt anyone we're just looking for the cleric here."

  
That seemed to make a lot of the villagers relax slightly. The hostile man that kept calling out to them paused and eyed him warily, "We do have a cleric...so you're here for his services then?"

  
"Yeah," Dream nodded, not taking his eyes off the group. At the affirmation many of them put away their weapons. The man that called out to them narrowed his eyes at Dream suspiciously but nodded just the same.

  
"Okay. Just...you try _anything_ 'n you and your friends are goners," He warned and Bad jolted from suddenly being included in the threat. Dream was none too happy about that fact as he clenched his teeth and tried not to bare them at the guy in a snarl. He simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak, "The cleric is in the church then."

  
"Thanks," Bad replied politely, hoping to further disarm the man's wariness towards them. The man said nothing but he sauntered away with many of the other villagers that were still lingering. Bad sighed, "Well they must deal with attacks if they're this wary of us."

  
Dream didn't comment but _did_ turn to face George, who had been quiet the entire time that went down. George had his arms curled around him like a weak hug and the sight of him made Dream's heart ache, "You okay, George?"

  
George jumped out of his apparent daze and looked at Dream, who still seemed tense. He nodded hesitantly, "Y-Yeah. Sorry...it's just...memories I guess."

  
Bad frowned at that and Dream walked over to George, smiling slightly. He grabbed George's hand and squeezed, "Let's just get what we need and leave, alright?"

  
George stared at their intertwined hands and couldn't help but feel a bit better. Dream was always good at making you feel safer. George smiled back, "Yeah."

  
"C'mon guys," Bad muttered as he turned, feeling a rare sense of annoyance towards the villagers, no matter how justified they might have been for their over dramatic reaction, "It's down this way."

  
George didn't let go of Dream's hand once.

* * *

They came to a stop in front of the church and George really took it in. It was made from gray cobblestone and stone brick. It must have been here for quite some time because some of the stone brick was cracked in places. There was a yellow-tinted double window a level above the single door out front.

  
Bad exchanged a glance with them and he knocked on the door three times as George finally let go of Dream's hand to rummage in his pack for Awesamdude's signed note. He figured that he'd stave off any weariness if they announced who sent them here right off the bat. George didn't want to experience anymore villager hostility.

  
The door opened almost before Bad even leaned back from knocking and the suddenness surprised all three of them. The male on the other end blinked at them in shock. The man looked to be in his late forties. He was kind of short with signs of gray in his brown hair.

  
"Hello...who are you lot then?" The man asked roughly, narrowing his eyes in suspicion His gaze seemed to zero in on Dream in particular and that made something clench in George. He was beginning to feel incredibly angry at these villagers.

  
"Awesamdude sent us," George spoke up, unable to help his flat tone. Bad and Dream looked at him with slightly wide eyes and the man blinked before settling his blue eyes on George, "Here's a note signed by him. He said you owed him a favor and that you could help us."

  
The man huffed, his eyes narrowing at George in almost disbelief, "Some way to start out asking for favors with that tone of yours."

  
George bristled immediately, "I _was_ thinking of being polite. That was before you and your villager pals decided to treat my friend here like the dirt beneath your shoes!"

  
Bad sucked in a breath but felt immensely proud of George then. Dream stared at George with owl-like eyes at the wave of protectiveness he felt coming off the smaller male. After the stunned surprise came a type of giddy contentedness. George was protecting him...

  
The cleric stood there silently, his eyes wide as he looked from George to his two friends. He hesitated and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Alright, look, I'm sorry. We're a closed off village and we don't get visitors often. Especially not ones that look like _him_. Didn't mean no harm."

  
George reigned himself in, trying to calm the shaking anger rattling his bones as he handed over the signed note, "Okay. I'm sorry too. Here, Awesamdude signed this so that you didn't have to feel so wary."

  
The cleric grabbed the note and read it then examined it a second time, "So he wants to call in his favor for you lot? And he's paying? So be it then. Please come in."

  
Bad stepped in after the cleric first but not before sending an award-winning beam to George, who blinked at him. George looked at Dream and was even more surprised to see a giddy smile on his face that would have made him chuckle if he weren't still calming down.

  
"Thanks for that, George," Dream said with a toothy smile as he came and gave George a one-armed hug, squeezing him so hard that George grunted, "I'm used to it though so don't worry about me."

  
"Need...air..." George gasped out and Dream laughed, parting from him before partially stepping inside the church. George was quick to follow after him with a serious look, "Just because you might be used to it doesn't make it _alright_ by the way."

  
The warm look Dream gave him then was enough to make his head swim and he felt the urge to get close to Dream, but he was brought out of his thoughts when the cleric started talking again, "Fire resistance potions, eh? I got just the stuff. You lot are pretty lucky."

  
Bad let out a loud laugh, unable to hold back. This startled the cleric and made Dream almost wheeze, "We've been having a lot of that lately."

  
The cleric sent him an odd look but began rummaging through a barrel for some supplies as his blaze stand began heating up, smoke rising off it. George shivered, already feeling the warmth start to sink into his skin as he and Dream walked closer to Bad.

  
"Can I ask you something?" Bad questioned, looking over at the cleric curiously as he began sorting out the ingredients he was grabbing. 

  
"Yeah? What is it?" He asked with his rough voice as he stood and plopped the ingredients in a small pile before walking to the other side of the room and pulling out some glass bottles.

  
"Do you know if there are any lava pools around?" Bad asked slowly. George and Dream quickly looked at him. They didn't think to ask about it but it was a good thing Bad did. It was their next step after this.

  
The cleric stopped for a second and looked at Bad in slight confusion before he walked towards his blaze stand, deciding that it was none of his business, "There's one close to the village. About a fifteen minute walk from here actually."

George and his friends' eyes widened in shock as George stammered out, "R-Really?"

  
"Mhm," The cleric answered as he filled the glass bottles with water from a cauldron and hung them on the blaze stand, "We use it to get rid of unwanted things like trash. We also use it to heat our water or furnaces when we can."

  
"Amazing..." Dream muttered but George and Bad both knew he was talking about their luck. The cleric didn't respond to that as he was so focused on his work. Bad watched him work in fascination while Dream sat in one of the chairs off to the side and began rummaging in his pack. George watched the cleric work for awhile before sitting next to Dream.

  
He was surprised to see Dream was still rummaging in his pack before realizing that Dream was doing something else. He decided to bite the bullet and ask, "What're you doing, Dream?"

  
Dream glanced at him, "Working on your surprise."

  
"Oh..." George blinked, staring at him, "I've been meaning to ask... _why_ are you giving me a surprise? N-Not that I'm not thankful..."

  
"I think it's something that might help you," Dream answered vaguely with a shrug and George rose an eyebrow. Something made of human skeleton bones will help him? How in the hell...?

  
George decided to not ask anymore as he let out a sigh and leaned his head back, still feeling uncomfortable in his wet clothes. There was nothing else to change into though so George would have to just make sure they all kept warm. That shouldn't be a problem considering where they were going after this...

  
A few minutes later, George opened his eyes when he heard the cleric clear his throat. He pulled the three bottles, now tinted a yellowish-pink if George was seeing correctly, off the blaze stand and handed them to Bad, since he was the closest. Bad beamed as he held them all carefully.

  
"One for each of you," The cleric explained as he crossed his arms and leaned back, studying them. George rummaged in his pack for the small pouch of emeralds Awesamdude gave him before handing it over to the cleric, "Thank you."

  
"How long is the effect for?" Dream asked as he closed his pack and stood up. 

  
"About eight minutes I'd say," The cleric answered as he moved to put away his earnings.

  
"Okay. Thank you," Bad smiled at the cleric before handing one bottle to George and Dream. George marveled at how warm the bottle was and studied the way the liquid inside almost sparkled.

  
"No problem," The cleric said gruffly, eyeing them, "Use it wisely."

  
"We will," Dream grinned, obviously excited now that they had the actual potions in their hands.

  
They left quickly after that. It was clear there was still a little tension in the air and George was left wondering if that was due to _him_ or just because the cleric didn't like being around a lot of people in general. That cleric seemed rough around the edges and he had no idea how Awesamdude charmed him.

  
"I have an idea," Bad spoke up, his tone incredibly cheerful. George looked over at him at the same time Dream did, "I don't know how long it'll take us to actually _make_ the portal this way, but if we can we should save two of these potions for when we're in the nether."

  
Dream brightened, "I was literally just thinking the same right now."

  
"Great minds think alike," Bad grinned and they chuckled, "We might end up needing all of them just to make the portal though."

  
"Nah, I'm gonna get it done myself in under 8 minutes," Dream smirked confidently and George gaped at him in an obvious manner. Bad burst out laughing but George wasn't sure who Bad was laughing at more.

  
"I'm starting to see just how crazy you are Dream," George muttered and Dream wheezed, leaning into him purposefully.

  
"I'm serious though. I'm _determined_ to make this work," Dream said as he stared at his fire resistance potion, "It'd be too good for us if we were able to keep two fire resistance potions with us in a place that's mostly fire and lava."

  
"I mean...yeah..." George trailed off, feeling uncertain, "But making a portal with lava and water in under 8 minutes?"

  
"I'll make it work," Dream promised, a bit smug and George rolled his eyes as Bad finally caught his breath, "First let's get plenty of water..."

* * *

The cleric had been right when he said there was a lava pool outside the village. In fact, it appeared that the villagers made a path from their village to the lava pool so he must have been telling the truth when he said they made use of it. It left George feeling a little hesitant. If they use this lava pool for their portal wouldn't that inconvenience the villagers?

  
Then again, it was a pretty large pool of lava so it wasn't like they'd be taking over the _entire_ thing with their portal. George decided not to worry about that, he was more concerned with how Dream was going to pull off making a portal in under eight minutes.

  
They put down all the wooden buckets of water they were carrying with them. They'd filled six large wooden buckets with water from the village's well supply before coming down. George hoped it was enough water otherwise they'd have to walk back to get more and Dream would _never_ finish the portal in under eight minutes then.

  
Dream eyed the bubbling lava and Bad seemed hesitant, "Wow, I almost feel like catching fire right now and we're not even at the edge."

  
"It burned all the nearby trees," George added as he looked around at the burnt and blackened trees. It was incredibly creepy, "Are you sure you want to be the only one making the portal, Dream?"

  
"I'm sure," Dream cleared his throat, smiling over at George, "I'll let you guys know when you can help. I _really_ think I can do this."

  
George couldn't help but melt at Dream's confidence, "Okay. Bad, you have the iron bucket?"

  
Bad nodded as he put his pack down to rummage through it. Dream also took off his pack and thick furry blanket to rid himself of the extra weight. Bad pulled out a thin iron bucket that they'd made back in the abandoned village before they left. He handed it over to Dream, "I'll be timing you, alright?"

  
"I trust you Bad," Dream nodded as he grinned at their black-clad friend, who frowned, obviously still worried, "Don't worry guys. Just stay back so you don't get burned and bring me some buckets when I say, okay?"

  
"Okay, it'll be like a team effort!" George smirked, forcing himself to be more positive. He was still worried about one of them catching fire from the proximity alone but he wanted to take a page from Dream and be more confident. Dream grinned at him.

  
"Exactly!" He said excitedly as he brought out the fire resistance potion and studied it with one hand, "Okay. Potion, iron bucket for the lava, and you guys have the water buckets. I think that's everything."

  
"I think so," Bad nodded, biting his lip, "You ready, Dream? Got an idea of what the portal is supposed to look like?"

  
"Yes," Dream laughed, poking Bad's arm to get him to lighten up, "We studied that diagram in your book for _hours_. I have an idea of how to do this."

  
"Let's just get this over with then," Bad sighed, his hands almost shaking. Dream nodded again, his eyes becoming serious behind the mask as he uncorked his potion and downed it before anyone could say anything. George's eyes widened.

  
Dream left the bottle with his stuff and hesitated for a minute or two to make sure the effects settled, turning to look at them warningly, "Hand me two of the buckets of water please."

  
George immediately rushed to do such and grunted from the weight as he handed it over to Dream, who handled it easier than he did. George pouted and Dream grinned at him before walking closer to the edge of the lava pool slowly.

  
Bad seemed to relax when Dream didn't immediately catch fire. They both watched Dream eye the lava pool, studying it before he grabbed one large bucket of water and poured some of it in the lava pool. George gasped at the loud hiss that filled the air along with the thick smoke that followed.

  
Dream waved a hand to get rid of some of the smoke from his face before he eased himself down. George and Bad tensed but Dream turned to them with a smile, "It worked! I'm actually standing on obsidian!"

  
" _Great_ ," George deflated in heavy relief before grinning teasingly at him, "Well hurry up, Dream! You're on the clock here!"

  
"I know, I know," Dream rolled his eyes as he turned towards the lava and began a slow process of scooping up a bucket full of it.

  
Bad and George couldn't believe the lack of hesitance Dream showed as he carefully began to pour lava onto the obsidian literally _right_ by his side before quickly switching to grab for some water to pour on it. George watched in fascination to see the lava hardening into obsidian.

  
They continued to watch Dream work and helped him by carrying the other four large water buckets when he needed them. Eventually he had both sides up, it was almost as tall as Dream. Bad bit his lip, "You have two minutes left Dream!"

  
"You worry too much, I _got_ this," Dream laughed over his shoulder at them, "I just need to finish the top of both sides and connect it. It should be good after that."

  
"Well hurry up please," George said anxiously, wringing his hands and clenching the end of his sleeves. All he could think about was Dream's potion effect wearing off and him catching fire or falling in the lava.

  
Dream snickered at them as he hurriedly began to finish. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a constant rush of adrenaline to get this portal done in a hurry. Dream's arms were nearly shaking with effort as he carefully poured buckets of lava individually on each side at the top before turning to grab the water so quick the movement was barely registerable. Dream poured the water at the top to connect it and then leaned back, his eyes widening when he realized he was finished.

  
"I did it!" Dream near-yelled in his own disbelief. George and Bad gasped as they took a couple of steps closer. The shape of it wasn't a _perfect_ square but it should do fine all the same. George was immensely surprised Dream managed it in under eight minutes.

  
"I can't believe this..." George trailed off, voicing his thoughts while Bad just stood there stupefied. Dream laughed, cheering.

  
"I _told_ you I could do it! It may not be perfect but I still did it," Dream smirked, feeling incredibly proud of himself as he climbed out and stood on the edge, "I bet I could do it even faster with time and experience!"

  
"You're _crazy_ ," Bad muttered, coming out his shock, "But well done! You...you actually did it!"

  
"Yeah! All we need is to light it up," Dream replied as his eyes lit up in excitement, "George, can you grab my flint and steel out of my pack for me?"

  
George nodded and turned, squatting down to rummage through Dream's pack until he found the item in question. He quickly stood and walked over to hand it to Dream. Dream immediately ducked back down to squat directly above the entrance to the portal before he looked over his shoulders at them, "Let's see if it works!"

  
George mentally crossed his fingers as Dream got a little closer to get the sparks on the obsidian. Once he flicked the flint against the steel, the sparks hit the obsidian portal and immediately it lit up with a dark pinkish almost purple hue. George flinched back and Bad gasped. Dream seemed just as startled.

  
"Whoa..."

  
"Holy shit it worked!" George gasped out.

  
"Language George!" Bad admonished, looking stunned. Dream stood up and turned to them, but his expression was hard to tell with his smiley-faced mask in the way. His mouth, however, was trembling.

  
"Bad...Bad we're so _close_ to finding them!" Dream stammered out as he approached their friend. Bad seemed just as mystified by the revelation and George smiled softly at them before grabbing his blanket and pack to throw over his shoulder again.

  
"W-We are..." Bad swallowed, his eyes tearing up as he looked back at Dream, "And....and we're ready for this right? We're ready for the nether?"

  
"I am if _you_ guys are," George decided to speak up and they both looked at him with wide eyes. George merely smirked, despite his heart pounding in his chest from anxiety, "Let's get a move on. We have people to find in the nether and who knows where we're gonna spawn in at!"

  
"True," Bad nodded as he chuckled while Dream grabbed his pack and blanket. They decided to stuff their blankets in their packs. They wouldn't be needing them out when they're in the nether.

  
After double checking everything, Dream turned to them and surprised them by grabbing each of their hands with a serious expression behind the mask, "We'll go in together. Let's do it quick so the heat from the lava doesn't bother you guys."

  
"Okay," George nodded, squeezing Dream's hand. Bad merely smiled as he nodded as well.

  
George had to take deep breaths and remind himself that he'd do whatever it takes to keep his two friends alive as they all three stepped onto the obsidian in the middle of the purple hue simultaneously.

  
The three males felt a surge of energy that seemed to pull and push their bodies at the same time while their vision blurred dizzily as if they were spinning non-stop. The air around them heated up and something tugged on George's hand. When he finally opened his eyes, the dizziness was dying down and he concentrated long enough to immediately look to his side to check on his friends.

  
They were still holding Dream's hands and Dream was bent over a little, sweat forming on his face from the heat in the air. Bad was panting with his eyes clenched shut as he tried to stave off the lingering dizziness and nausea. George relaxed when he saw them unhurt before he glanced up and froze.

  
Everything looked black. Like various shades of black. In the distance there was an encompassing glow that George knew _had_ to be from lava. He shifted his feet and stared at the ground that felt almost spongy beneath his feet.

  
"You guys okay...?" Dream asked quietly and George felt him tug on his hand again. He looked over at Dream, who seemed to be calming down.

  
"I'm fine," George answered, squeezing Dream's hand.

  
"I'm good too. My head is just swimming a little," Bad groaned as he let go of Dream's hand to wipe his face. Dream chuckled but appeared relieved.

  
"Same. It's going away though," He replied and George watched his friends finally look around, "The ground feels weird here. Not quite muddy but like..."

  
"I thought it felt spongy," George grinned, voicing his previous thoughts. Dream eyes lit up.

  
"Yeah! Like that! And everything is red so that's kind of disorienting," Dream mused as he studied the surroundings.

  
George snorted, "Try seeing nothing but a whole bunch of black instead."

  
Dream and Bad both paused, glancing over at him. Bad shivered once, "That's really _ominous._ "

  
"I thought black was your signature color though," Dream teased, wheezing when Bad shot him a look. George shook his head.

  
"Anyways, any idea of where we should start looking for a lost or trapped group of people?" George questioned as he adjusted his hoodie beneath his armor. Jeez, he was already sweating so much.

  
"Well according to what I've read, there are rumors that there are structures built in the nether. There's the blackstone ruin-like structures called bastions which we should _definitely_ stay away from and the maroon-bricked structures called nether fortresses," Bad explained as his eyes glazed over in thought, "I doubt any group of people stuck in the nether would just be out in the _open_ so I say we look for a nether fortress."

  
"I trust Bad's decision making skills here," Dream smirked and Bad rolled his eyes, "I'm _so_ glad we have a traveling librarian with us."

  
George laughed at _that_ particular memory while Bad just rose an eyebrow at Dream, "Are you making fun of me cause I read a lot Dream? If so that's not very nice."

  
Dream laughed loudly, "I'm not making fun of you!"

  
"Fine, whatever," Bad sighed, crossing his arms, "Let's just get going already."

  
George slowly stopped laughing as Dream nodded, getting his laughter under control. They eventually decided they were going to go left where it appeared the ground tunneled downwards a bit. 

  
Neither George nor Dream noticed that they were still practically glued to each other's side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so looking forward to these chapters in the nether. You have no idea! I hope you all are excited for what might unfold as well! Also I am, like, all for that protective George moment. 🥺👍
> 
> By the way, I wanted to introduce Dream's talent for building super quick nether portals here but in a realistic way. I loved it, haha, especially with how panicky Bad was and how George gaped at him!! 😂😂


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get tense as George and Dream argue. Then things go from bad to worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Again, thank you so much for the support you've been giving me and my story! I'm so happy!
> 
> Also FAIR WARNING: There is just a little gore, not much, in the chapter. Also, many new people are introduced but only the ones that matter have names. Just don't want anyone getting confused!

Of all the things George worried about, getting lost in various tunnels in the nether wasn't one of them. And yet here they were, still wandering in tunnels filled with mostly nether rack that seemingly had no end in sight. Bad still had some leftover spray paint from when they mined in that cave so it wasn't as if they were _completely_ lost, but still.

  
Dream looked irritated and impatient again, like he was point zero seconds away from just hacking away at the nether rack with a pickaxe. George was beginning to become annoyed himself so he didn't attempt to lighten him up. Bad was the only one that still seemed calm as they continued onward.

  
"We probably should have stayed up top," Dream complained as they found another dead end and turned around to go left instead of right.

  
"Where all the monsters are roaming?" George asked with an incredulous tone. Dream glanced at him and George couldn't figure out his expression with the darn mask in the way.

  
Dream looked away and with a tinge of annoyance to his tone he muttered, "It's not like we can avoid the creatures here _forever_."

  
George felt a surge of irritation flare inside him. He understood why Dream was annoyed with their current situation but being annoyed at _him_ wasn't going to do them any good. George frowned, biting his lip as he felt slow anger building. He'd never actually gotten angry at Dream before. Suddenly Bad glanced back at them, "That's true but the less time we spend around them and where they are the better it is for us."

  
"Okay but we're wasting time. Why don't we just start mining upwards from here?" Dream sighed loudly. Bad paused and seemed to actually be thinking that idea over.

  
"Do you think nether rack is able to be mined? It's such a weird texture," Bad asked aloud as he ran his fingers across the spongy texture.

  
"Couldn't hurt to try," George said as he shrugged, avoiding Dream's glance when he felt his eyes on him, "Besides who even knows if this tunnel opens back up. It could be endless dead ends."

  
"You're right George," Bad smiled, reaching into his pack for his pickaxe, "We aren't far underground either so let's just mine a path up."

  
As Bad began to mine into the wall by their side, George's eye caught movement beside him and glanced over to see Dream sliding up to stand next to him. He was going to immediately look away but Dream pursed his lips and spoke up almost quietly, "Hey...uh...sorry. I wasn't irritated at _you_ or anything. I realize I sounded..."

  
"You sounded like you were irritated at me," George frowned, finally making eye contact with Dream, who was staring back, "I know _you_ are confident that you can fight off monsters but not all of us are looking for fights you know?"

  
He wasn't sure where _that_ came from but now he couldn't take it back. Dream's eyes widened slightly as he looked at George and then Dream looked away from him. It was clear he was kind of hurt by that, "I'm not _looking_ for fights, George. I just don't want to be too scared that I avoid easier solutions."

  
George bristled, feeling his own brand of hurt at that. Dream thought he was a coward, didn't he? "You think I'm too scared?!"

  
Dream's eyes widened again and he backtracked immediately, putting his hands up as he sputtered awkwardly, "No I _wasn't_ \- I didn't mean...sorry, I'm doing a shitty job of explaining what I'm feeling."

  
"Apparently," George muttered, turning away from Dream. Bad was staring at them with wide eyes and he immediately looking away when George turned around, "I'm not a coward, Dream. I just want to be smart about this."

  
"I'm sorry," Dream frowned when George turned away at him, "I don't think you're a coward George...sorry I'm just saying the wrongs things...."

  
George flicked his eyes at Dream and relaxed slightly at his genuine tone. He rubbed at his own arm awkwardly, "We're just worked up, right? I...I wasn't trying to say you _aren't_ being smart or anything. I'm sorry too."

  
Dream gave him a little relieved smile and nodded, "It's okay...and I was just irritated and taking it out on you."

  
"I think I was doing the same," George smiled a little, feeling more tension ease away as he realized Dream wasn't mad at him or anything like that.  
Dream's smile widened for some reason, "Aww, our first argument!"

  
" _What?_ " George burst out laughing, already feeling lighter. Dream joined him in laughing until they heard Bad clear his throat. He was standing in a hole he was making in the wall.

  
"Are you muffins quite done now?" He grinned as he gestured behind him, "Because I have a bit of a staircase shape going. Wanna help me out?"

  
"Sure, sorry Bad," Dream laughed as he took off his pack to grab his own pickaxe and walk over to begin helping Bad mine away at the nether rack.

* * *

Its turns out that nether rack was extremely easy to mine, easier than stone, and they were breaking through the top and onto solid ground in less than ten minutes. Dream went through first and he already had his sword out, just in case. This made George a bit relieved that Dream was taking the nether creatures seriously when earlier it seemed like he wasn't.

  
"I expected to at least see pigmen by now," Bad commented as he finally climbed next to George on the ground. George nodded, looking around but seeing no signs of life. Everything was just blackish and they still seemed to be surrounded by nether rack, but they were on the _surface_ at least.

  
"Which way should we go now?" Dream asked hesitantly, looking over his shoulder at them. George hummed in thought, still taking in the surroundings. There was a cliff and George could tell that it was a steep fall, so there was no going down that way. The faint glow George spotted way in the distance in front of them meant there was lava so it probably wasn't wise to go that way either.

  
"How about over here?" Bad suggested and they both turned to look at him. He was spraying an arrow towards the staircase path they created down so that they wouldn't get totally lost. The last thing they all needed was to get too deep in the nether and lose their nether portal.

  
Bad was gesturing to the right but he looked a bit wary, "It leads to an open area though but its the only option unless we want to try and mine again."

  
"No thanks," Dream groaned, rolling his shoulder slowly. George snickered. Dream and Bad were the only ones with iron pickaxes so they did the mining earlier, "I think with all three of us armed we'll be fine as long as we keep our eyes peeled."

  
George nodded in agreement, "And Bad can tell us if he spots a dangerous nether creature he knows!"

  
"Yeah," Bad smiled and nothing more really needed to be said. The three brought out their weapons as they walked towards the right and eventually walked around a corner into the open.

  
They immediately froze when several heads turned in their direction curiously. George gasped. Several pigmen were roaming around almost aimlessly and after glancing at them curiously, they went about their way without too much direction.

  
The pigmen were just as described in Bad's book. Parts of their bodies exposed their skeletal features and some even had skin hanging from their bodies. What was worse was the smell; they smelled like _death_. George swallowed and immediately looked away, feeling the urge to vomit. Bad looked worse off than him as he also looked away but had both his hands clamped over his mouth like he was preventing himself from throwing up.

  
Dream simply looked away and George couldn't tell how bothered he was with that stupid mask in the way. It was _always_ in the way! Dream turned to them and spoke up cautiously, "You guys okay? Bad, you good?"

  
George simply nodded and Bad let out a little gasp, not looking up from the ground as he answered meekly, "I-I'm fine. I just...didn't think they'd look _that_ decomposed. They look much gorier than I expected."

  
Dream nodded with a grim smile on his face as he patted Bad's shoulder to comfort him and George jolted when Dream's gaze crossed his. George opened his mouth to say something when a strange sob-like cry filled the air. All three of them jumped and whirled around to find out where it came from.

  
"What the _fuck_ is that?!" Dream cursed loudly, clearly startled and another sob filled the air as a floating white creature hovered closer to where they were standing.

  
"Language Dream!" Bad frowned before his eyes widened, "Wait, that's a ghast!"

" _That's_ a ghast?!" George cried out in shock, "I know you described it as some ghost-like creature but Bad that thing's _huge_!"

  
"I...I wasn't expecting it to be that big either," Bad replied, a spooked expression forming on his face, "We need to stay out of it's eyesight or it'll-"

  
All three flinched when the ghast seemed to ironically notice them in that moment and it literally screamed. Bad immediately yelled, "Move!"

  
Bad grabbed George by the sleeve before pulling him away with a yank as Dream and George noticed the projectile that looked similar to a _fireball_ shooting at them. Dream jumped out of the way in time but when the fireball hit the ground it exploded and the force of it made Dream half stumble to the ground.

  
"Dream!" George gasped as he shrugged out of Bad's hold. He made to rush after Dream but another scream filled the air and he realized with horror that the fireball was headed right for him and Bad this time.

  
Bad tackled George away and they both grunted when they hit the ground harder than expected due to that blast. They heard Dream shouting after them but it was hard to hear over the almost constant screaming.

  
"Move, move!" George gasped as he pulled Bad away this time. The next blast hit in front of them instead of behind and they both cried out in surprise as they fell backwards.

  
"George! Bad!" Dream yelled, his tone a mix between worry, shock, and anger. George shook his head to clear it and glanced at Dream just as another scream echoed in the air. 

  
He was stunned when Dream, who must have been running after them, jumped in front of where they were laying and actually hit the fireball with his diamond sword like he was hitting a ball with a bat. To his amazement, the fireball didn't explode on Dream but bounced off his sword and soared through the air, hitting the ghast. It screeched and the fireball blew up on it evaporating the ghast like it had been nothing more than mist.

  
"What the..." Bad trailed off, stunned. Dream turned and rushed to them immediately.

  
"Are you guys okay?! Are you burned at all?" He demanded as he knelt to them and scanned them over. Bad laughed.

  
"I'm fine...George?" Bad asked as he looked over at him. George blinked, realizing he was just staring.

  
"No, I'm fine, uh...not burned. I can't believe that just happened," George muttered in shock. Dream deflated with relief and smirked.

  
"Well I don't know why I did that. I just didn't want it to hit you guys," Dream explained as his mouth tightened, "I had no idea it was going to backfire on it."

  
"At least we know how to kill it," Bad grinned as he stood slowly. George blinked again when Dream shuffled closer to him and held his hands out like he wanted to help George up. George blushed a little but smiled, putting his hands in Dream's, allowing him to help pull George to his feet.

  
"Thanks," George said and Dream smiled briefly before pulling away and glancing over his shoulder.

  
"I see a place where we can rest for a second," Dream announced as he studied the path in front of them, "Let's get there and eat something."

  
" _Now_ you're talking," George joked and Bad laughed lightly. Bad nudged his arm against George's as they followed behind Dream. They both made it a point to not look too long at any of the pigmen they passed. George shuddered at the way Dream didn't seem affected. Was he used to seeing things like that...? George was sure he probably was.

  
They made it to the small indent in the wall and they all sat down close to each other on a small area of raised nether rack. Bad distributed some cut strips of meat and they snacked in silence. George noted that Dream was eyeing their surroundings wearily, one hand on the hilt of his diamond sword.

  
He sighed before eating with renewed vigor. The nether was just so _hot_ and George was sure he probably had huge sweat stains in his clothes by now. While he was initially excited to explore something new, he was already ready to leave the nether. He couldn't imagine anyone being trapped here with these dangerous creatures and sweltering heat.

  
George didn't realize he'd stopped eating and was just staring off with a frown until Dream stood up and stretched, "I'm done eating. I think I'm gonna wander a bit to see which way we should go."

  
"You aren't going off alone!" Bad yelped incredulously and George rose an eyebrow at Dream, who laughed a little at Bad.

  
"I'm staying within sight. I'm not dumb," Dream joked and Bad sighed, shaking his head, "I'm serious. I'll be within shouting distance. I just want to check the surroundings for a second. Two minutes tops, okay?"

  
"Fine," Bad drawled, narrowing his eyes, "But you better shout if you're in trouble or anything."

  
"Yeah, yeah," Dream waved off Bad's concern and George bit his lip. He kind of agreed with Bad. It didn't matter that he wasn't going far, maybe he shouldn't be leaving their side.

  
It was too late to say anything to him because Dream was already walking around the corner where they were sitting, his diamond sword ready in one hand. George sighed and continued to eat. Dream was a big boy, he didn't need them mothering him. He'd been keeping himself alive for years....worrying like this was only annoying Dream.

  
"George?" Bad whispered and George looked over at him in confusion. Why was he being so quiet all of a sudden?

  
"Yeah, what's up?" George asked, tilting his head to the side curiously. Bad glanced behind him as if he were making sure nothing could hear him. 

  
"There was something I've been wanting to talk to you about," Bad said before biting his lip in hesitation. George rose an eyebrow.

  
"Oh yeah? Right now?" He asked, feeling somewhat confused and wary. 

  
"It's just something that's been on my mind," Bad explained after he swallowed another bite of his meat, "Things I've noticed like back at the abandoned village...."

  
"Things you've noticed?" George parroted, still completely lost as to what Bad was talking about.

  
"About you and Dream," Bad continued, eyeing George, who stilled immediately, "George I know I've kind of asked already...well not really _this_ specifically...but do you know what it means to have a crush on someone?"

  
George went silent for a second as he thought about that, "A crush...as in an attraction for someone?"

  
"Yeah...."

  
"I have found a couple of people attractive before..." George admitted as he thought about the people in his home village, "But I didn't like them as a person and they _hated_ me so..."

  
Bad frowned, "That's terrible."

  
"Why are you asking, Bad?" George hesitated, his fingers curling around the meat in his hands. It seemed like a really weird time to be asking this.

  
"I guess I was just wondering what you thought of Dream," Bad trailed off, unsure of what he wanted to ask exactly.

  
"Of Dream? Dream's an amazing person and he's my first best friend. He doesn't treat me like anyone else," George smiled slightly as he thought about it but when he noticed something odd in Bad's expression he frowned, "Why are you asking me about Dream?"

  
"I....maybe I'm butchering this but I'm just curious if...if you find Dream attractive," Bad asked as he blushed from embarrassment. George's eyes widened at the unexpected question.

  
"I- _what?_ Dream's...well, Dream's not _bad_ looking...." George confessed, turning red as he said this. He suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed talking about this and wished Bad would stop. His heart began thudding in his chest as he thought about Dream's face.

  
Bad smiled, "You're always looking and smiling at Dream. Plus you touch him a lot so I guess I was just wanting to know if you had feelings for Dream...."

  
If possible, George's eyes widened further and his heart skipped a couple of beats. That's what it seemed like? Did he really look at Dream and touch him that much? Was it bad? Is it _weird_? Bad frowned when he noticed the somewhat panicked look on George's face, unable to tell what the other is thinking, "I know you've probably never had feelings for someone before and are very confused so I just wanted to let you know I'm here for you, George."

  
"I...I...." George stammered, feeling himself grow hot with some kind of mortification, "I don't know...I-"

  
"It's alright not to know right now George. I didn't mean to upset you," Bad said seriously, placing one of his hands on George's soothingly. He obviously caught George off guard with this and he felt bad about it now, "You should think about and notice how you act with Dream versus how you act with others. That might help you figure out your feelings."

  
George nodded, unable to say anything. His hands were shaking as he stared down at them. George wasn't completely stupid. Bad was...asking if he were in love with Dream? Like _romantic_ feelings? George never even considered that. Did it seem that way to _Dream_? This whole time...was George being weird?

George forced himself to think of something else to calm his rapidly beating heart and the panic welling in his chest.

* * *

Bad and George finished eating quietly a few minutes later. They were just standing and shrugging on their packs when they heard Dream shout in alarm. George was already running before he even registered that Dream might be in trouble. Bad was right on his heels and he crashed into George when George abruptly stopped in horror.

  
"Guys! _It's_ -"

  
Dream saw them but his shout was cut off when he was forced to defend himself. There were multiple piglins rushing and trying to attack him. Some of them were wearing actual armor.

  
"Dream!" George yelled, rushing forward. He clutched at his iron sword and immediately jumped in to block a hit that Dream would have been unable to avoid since two piglins were already pressing down on him. Dream flashed him a look of gratitude. George briefly counted at least seven piglins in the group trying to get at them.

  
An arrow whizzed past Dream and into the throat of one piglin behind him, who squealed in agony. Bad armed another arrow into his crossbow, looking grim and unrepentant as he began aiming again. George grunted when he blocked another piglin's sword.

  
"Oh muffin!" Bad gasped but both Dream and George couldn't look away from their own fight to see what was wrong. The dying piglin on the ground was still squealing loudly in agony and it made George wince, "Guys! More are coming! We should go!"

  
"What?!" Dream gasped and the minor distraction, no matter how brief, allowed one of the piglins Dream was fighting to cut him across the arm. Dream hissed in pain and jumped away, swinging his sword at the piglin in retaliation.

  
George managed to push the piglin he was fighting away and gasped when Bad came seemingly from no where and grabbed his wrist, pulling him away at a dead run. George stumbled before glancing over his shoulder and panickily yelling out, "Dream, _c'mon_!!"

  
Dream cursed and kicked one of the piglins away from him before running after them. George could see the piglins chasing after them and, in the distance, more coming to help. They needed to find somewhere to hide or hopefully outrun them to get away or they might be in trouble.

  
"T-There's too many of them," George yelped when the piglin group started getting closer. They weren't exactly fast but didn't have much problem keeping up with them. George was shocked.

  
"Wait! Dream! Remember what Techno said?!" Bad gasped as he looked over his shoulder at Dream, who caught up with them. Dream looked back at him blankly, "Gold! They might want _gold_! Try throwing some of our gold ingots on the ground!"

  
"Seriously!?" Dream asked almost incredulously. Bad nodded and Dream rushed to get the gold ingots out of his pack. It took a good minute and George's lungs were beginning to burn with how long they were running. Dream immediately discarded a few gold ingots on the ground but they didn't stop running.

  
Eventually they looked back again and noticed the piglins slowed down to inspect the gold on the ground before halting completely. Bad pulled George behind a small hill of nether rack and all three of them collapsed to the ground, breathing deeply. George inhaled quickly, "Oh thank God!"

  
"The nether sucks," Bad gasped out. Dream started laughing, wheezing really, and they both looked at him oddly, "How did you even get tangled up with them Dream?"

  
It took a second for Dream to calm, "I wasn't far from you guys and I really _was_ just looking around. I noticed a big lava lake and as I was looking for a decent path I heard a weird sort of oinking behind me. At first I thought it was one of those pigmen but when I heard a bow-string being pulled back I turned to see a few piglins there so I yelled out."

  
"Whoa," George's eyes widened, "You're lucky you heard it before it was able to shoot you."

  
Dream nodded, "Yeah..."

  
"Well, you guys good? We should start walking again," Bad sighed, placing one hand on his chest, "I don't want to stand around for too long."

  
"I hear you," George sighed as well, "Let's go before those piglins decide to try and find us or something."

  
As they began walking, George noticed out of the corner of his eye that Dream was keeping pace with him the way he always did whenever they walked places. Why did it always end up with them walking side by side? George blinked when Dream looked over at him and then smiled. He blushed at having been caught staring but then he noticed Dream fidgeting slightly as they walked.

  
"You're moving around a lot," George commented stupidly and then blushed more when Dream glanced at him oddly, "I...I mean, you're fidgeting. Are you okay?"

  
"Oh. Yeah, its just adrenaline, you know?" Dream grinned, showing teeth, "I'm just thinking about how I could have handled that battle better and stuff..."

  
George rose an eyebrow, "You say that as if you _liked_ fighting them."

  
"Well, a little," Dream admitted with a casual shrug while George's mouth dropped open and Bad turned to finally look at them over his shoulder with a shocked expression, "I like fighting. I was still a bit scared cause, ya know, I was outnumbered but I like challenging myself to figure out how to get out of dire situations like that."

  
George stared at him, feeling amazed. Dream was thinking about all that? George had just been scared and didn't want anyone to die or get really hurt. He knew to an extent that Dream had to learn to fight but he didn't realize that Dream actually _liked_ fighting. He wasn't sure how to feel about that just yet.

  
"Oh I see. That's an awesome way of looking at it," Bad laughed and Dream smirked as they all kept walking forward. George stayed quiet, unsure what to say so he opted to not say anything. He could feel Dream's eyes on him again though but refused to look up. 

  
It wasn't until George felt Dream's arm accidentally brush against his a few minutes later that he jumped, shifting away immediately. Dream looked at him in surprise and raised an eyebrow but George quickly looked away, flustered. He thought back to what Bad said and felt distressed about his reaction.

  
"George?" Dream murmured quietly, sounding confused, "You okay?"

  
"Y-Yeah," George nodded, still not meeting his eyes and hating the way he stuttered, "You just surprised me that's all."

  
"Oh..." Something in Dream's tone told George that Dream didn't fully believe him but there wasn't much he could do about that. It was just an accidental brush of their arms, he didn't have to jump and move away like that! Its not as if that accidental brush was romantic, right? George frowned, thinking a little too much about it.

  
"Guys!" Bad shouted suddenly and George jumped a few inches in the air. Dream seemed just as startled but he was still staring at George so he wasn't sure if Dream was startled by him or Bad, "I see some blue in the distance!"

  
"You mean like a warped forest?" Dream gasped as they all stared in the direction Bad was pointing. George could just make out some blue and what looked like an overgrown mushroom the size of a tree. George was floored, "We should go there!"

  
"Really?" George trailed off, a bit hesitant. They turned to him, "Techno said that Endermen love to roam the warped forest..."

  
Dream tilted his head and acted as if that fact didn't bother him which made another pang of annoyance surge through George. How the hell can he act so confident all the time? Surely there's a limit! "Yeah he did and he's probably right but all we have to do is not look them in the eyes."

  
"And if the group trapped in the nether are connected to the pillagers with the crescent-shaped tattoos then they'll probably be close to a warped forest!" Bad said brightly and George felt any protests die on his tongue at that. Bad and Dream were extremely excited and eager to find any leads that led to them to finding their loved ones. Maybe George was just being a stick in the mud.

  
"Okay, let's go," George sighed and Bad beamed, "I'm gonna laugh if you guys end up getting chased by Endermen though."

  
They all knew that wasn't true but Dream laughed for some reason and George's mouth twitched in a small smile as they rushed to the warped forest together, avoiding narrow paths close to cliffs.

  
Once they were there, George felt his eyes widen in wonder at how eerily beautiful the warped forest looked. Now that they were closer, George could make out little mushrooms on the ground along with strange looking grass and vines. Everything was such a pretty blue color, but George was left wondering if he saw the same blue as his two friends did.

  
They walked around, taking in the sights when Bad yelped. George froze when he heard something zoom past him and glanced at the ground to see something with long black legs in the area behind him. Dream chuckled at their reaction, "No one look up. We're fine. Just keep walking."

  
"How are you so _calm_?" George grumbled, annoyed. He paused when a tan hand grabbed his pale wrist and pulled him along. George looked up slightly to see Dream looking ahead of them at the ground with a serious expression. Then George noticed Bad watching them with a lowered head and he gasped, pulling his wrist out of Dream's hand immediately.

  
Dream whirled around to look at him worriedly until he realized nothing was actually wrong. Bad looked surprised and George couldn't bring himself to look at either of them. Dream frowned, "What's wrong?"

  
"N-Nothing, let's just keep moving!" George rushed to say as he fast-walked past a bewildered Dream. He heard his friends following behind him but his heart was racing. He hated this; _hated_ it. Whenever Dream was around him now all he could think about was what Bad told him. It left him flustered and unsure of himself. 

  
Thankfully, for whatever reason, Dream didn't question his odd little episode and they weaved through the forest, avoiding Endermen as they went. As it turns out, Technoblade was right. Endermen really loved warped forests.

  
And then about twenty five minutes into their walk through the warped forest, George felt eyes on him. He glanced at his friends but they were both not looking at him. They were studying their surroundings just like he had been, looking for signs of any human life or a nether fortress. George still felt eyes on him and broke out into a sweat that was not at all related to the heat of the nether.

  
He was briefly distracted from this when Bad spoke up suddenly, "What should we do when we find a nether fortress?"

  
"What do you mean?" Dream questioned as he paused walking. George couldn't shake the feeling that he was still being watched and that set him on edge.

  
"Like when we find a nether fortress what should we _do_? Should we just enter one or...?" Bad trailed off, biting his lip as his eyes glazed over in thought, "I don't know what to expect exactly."

  
"Neither do I but I think we're prepared. If we're lucky there'll be people there," Dream grinned and George frowned.

  
"We shouldn't assume the people we come across will be _good_ people," George warned and his friends looked at him, "What if they're connected to that group you're looking for? What if they _are_ that group you're looking for?"

  
Dream and Bad's eyes widened but George continued as his nerves made him feel like he was having a mini anxiety attack, "Even if not, what if there's just _monsters_ there?"

  
"Then we'll handle the monsters," Dream told him easily and George scowled, irritated again.

  
"We don't know what _kind_ of monsters they'll be. How do you know we can handle them?" George challenged with a glare and to his surprise, Dream seemed to be getting riled up again. Bad looked at them uneasily.

  
"Why are you so pessimistic George?" Dream growled and George flinched, his heart jumping in his chest at the fact that Dream was getting angry at him, "You always have to look at the down side of everything don't you? If we come across monsters we can assess the situation and _handle_ it!"

  
George felt overwhelmed by all the feelings and anxiety he was experiencing. He felt enraged and hurt as he shouted, "Pessimistic? I'm being _realistic_ which you are clearly not able to do all the time! Not everyone can be as confident as you! There's too much we don't know about the nether and the things in it so how do you think we can just assess a situation as if it'll go the way we _want_ it to?!"

  
Dream bristled, obviously offended, "I _am_ being realistic! Stop acting like I'm some barbarian that fights first and asks questions later!"

  
"You _are_ like that though!" George yelled, his hands clenching into fists, "Its like you're not cautious at times when you _should_ be! And then you act like you can handle anything that comes your when you really _can't_ , Dream!"

  
Dream went quiet and when George actually _looked_ at him, Dream eyes were wide behind his mask and he looked incredibly hurt. George's heart leapt in his throat. He didn't mean to let all his frustrations out like that but now he couldn't take it back. George swallowed and looked away from Dream.

  
"Guys...c'mon," Bad whined, looking really worried, "I can't believe you're fighting like this...."

  
George felt his eyes burn slightly. He still felt hurt by what Dream said about him and he was still angry at him. He wasn't _trying_ to hurt Dream's feelings but he couldn't stand by as Dream acted like everything would be easy to handle or work out they way they wanted it to. George felt like eyes were on him again and he felt frustrated. Was he just being a baby?

  
"I'm...just on edge, okay?" George swallowed around the lump in his throat, "I keep feeling like someone's _watching_ me."

  
"What?" Bad asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked all around. George peeked around them as well but when he saw Dream just standing there quietly, his heart skipped a few beats. His head was titled away so that you couldn't see his eyes or lips, just the side of his mask.

  
Bad shivered, "Now _I'm_ starting to become paranoid. I feel it too. Let's keep moving, okay?"

  
George nodded and bit his lip when Dream still didn't speak up but immediately moved in the direction they were going before they stopped. Bad looked at George worriedly but George stayed silent as well. He wanted to apologize to Dream but he wasn't sure what to say exactly. Some of what he said was how he actually felt after all.

  
They walked in awkward stone silence for a few moments before Dream stopped abruptly and finally spoke, "Oh my God...I think I see a fortress!"

  
Bad and George whirled around to look off to the left where Dream was looking. Sure enough, there seemed to be some dark-bricked structure way off in the distance, so far you had to squint to see it. It seemed to be tucked into the nether rack while other parts of it stretched out over a lava lake. It was _huge!_

  
Dream turned to them and opened his mouth slightly like he was going to say something but then his eyes went wide and he actually shivered. George couldn't help but blurt out worriedly, "Dream?"

  
"I...I think you guys are right," He said suddenly as his eyes hardened and he looked all around, "I feel like someone's watching us."

  
George's eyes widened and he heard Bad gasp lightly. George gripped the handle of his iron sword so hard his knuckles turned white and he looked all around but couldn't _see_ anyone spying on them. Dream ground out, "Maybe its just Endermen?"

  
"Maybe..." George trailed off.

  
"We should definitely stake out the fortress _before_ we go in," Bad said quietly and they both looked at him, "I think we should get closer. Just close enough to see if anything's around."

George felt a little more relieved as he nodded, "We should observe it a little before going in."

  
Dream didn't say anything but he began sneaking towards the nether fortress just the same. George and Bad followed his lead but George kept looking all around, just in case. It still felt like they were being watched. George was glad it wasn't just _him_ that felt it.

  
"Hey George..." Bad whispered and George glanced over at where he was walking by his side. Bad was frowning, "Do you really think that the pillagers could be the ones in the nether?"

  
George frowned as well, "I think it's possible. I just know that ever since we got into the nether I've been anxious. I have a vague sense that we shouldn't be here."

  
Bad stared back at him worriedly but didn't say anything in return. As they got closer to the nether fortress, George felt his shoulders tense. He felt random goosebumps form on his arms and he shivered. Suddenly Dream gasped and before he realized what was happening, Dream grabbed both him and Bad by the arm before shoving them behind a small stack of nether rack.

  
"I think I saw something...or _someone_ ," Dream explained in a whisper, his eyes wide. George felt his heart drop into his stomach, "It definitely looked like it could be a person..."

  
"Really?" Bad asked with owl-like eyes. 

  
"Yeah but they were heavily geared in gold armor and I think they have weapons," Dream added with a wary expression, "Lets-"

  
Before Dream could finish his sentence, there was whistling in the air. Very _loud_ whistling. George winced with a gasp. Bad covered his ears and Dream whirled his head around to look in all directions. When he looked to the left, Dream gasped, "Fuck!"

  
"Language!" Bad said sharply but they turned to the left and all the color left George's face when he saw what looked like multiple people with weapons running in the general direction they were hiding. The whistling stopped.

  
"Fuck, _fuck_ , I think they know we're here," Dream cursed, his hand curling around his weapon. His eyes were still wide, "They might attack us."

  
"Maybe we should run and hide somewhere else?" Bad panicked, "What if George is right that they aren't good people?"

  
"But they're supposedly trapped right? If we explain-" Dream's own panicked speech was cut off when a couple of arrows hit the ground near their side like a warning.

  
"Come on out. You're surrounded and you won't escape," A male voice called out, sounding both serious but almost bored.

  
They tensed and George felt his heart hammering in his chest from fear. Dream ground his teeth together and Bad gripped his crossbow with both hands, his eyes almost wild with anxiety. The man continued, "We _know_ there are three of you there. Don't make us come get you. It'll be worse."

  
George couldn't help the small gasp that escaped his throat. How did they see them that clearly to know there were only three of them? Dream caught his and Bad's eye and jerked his head in a nod, but his eyes flashed with seriousness. Dream stood slowly but kept his weapon out in front of him. George and Bad hesitantly followed his lead, putting all three of them in view.

  
They stopped in shock when they saw it was more than just one guy. It was four and all of them had gold armor with expressions on their faces that showed they didn't feel threatened by Dream or any of them at _all_. They did pause slightly at the sight of the mask Dream was wearing though.

  
"At least you're smart enough to know when you're outmatched," Another male spoke up, almost smug and George watched Dream's hands shake with anger, "Here I thought you'd make us come get you."

  
"Who says we're outmatched?" Dream spoke up calmly, but the anger was in his tone, "There's four of you and three of us."

  
The group of men stayed silent but surprisingly didn't seem bothered in the least. One of them even laughed loudly. Dream growled and Bad looked almost panicked, "W-Wait, we're not bad people or anything! We just heard there was a group trapped in the nether and came to help!"

  
George and Dream both knew that Bad was trying to diffuse the hostile tension but they were stunned when the men all looked between each other like they were darkly amused. Then suddenly Bad sucked in a breath and Dream looked like he'd been sucker-punched, leaving George wondering why they reacted like that so randomly.

  
Then he noticed it. One of the men had his head tilted towards another as they spoke to each other and it put his neck in view full as well as the _spiky crescent-shaped tattoo_ that adorned it. George felt cold shock run through him and he quickly looked to Dream.

  
"You...its _you_!" Dream gasped, his eyes wild with rage and his entire body shaking. The men seemed just slightly caught off guard by the change in Dream's demeanor, "It's actually _you_!"

  
"Think he lost his mind?" One man asked sarcastically but then Dream snarled and charged at them with no warning. George gasped and Bad still seemed stunned, rooted to the spot with shock.

  
"Dream, _wait_!" George yelped as Dream immediately went to attack the closest man. He didn't even make it to the group of men before an arrow that seemingly came from no where pierced Dream through the shoulder. Dream bit back a howl of pain and stumbled back, " _DREAM_!"

  
"Oh my God!" Bad gasped, finally breaking out of his stunned daze. For some reason, Dream seemed to be moving slower than normal even with his injury and the men immediately dashed forward. Two of them kicked Dream to the ground and held him there. Bad aimed his crossbow and shot one of the men in the arm.

  
George turned around wildly, looking in the direction where the arrow came from and saw a man hidden up on a cliff to the right. He was aiming a bow towards them blankly. 

  
"Don't even think of attacking anymore," One of the men started saying as they walked closer to Bad and George. It was clear they were talking more to Bad, who was shakily aiming his crossbow at them, "Unless you _want_ the masked man to suffer."

  
George felt like he was close to hyperventilating but he did as directed when one of them demanded they release their weapons. Dream was still struggling slowly on the ground, snarling in the faces of the men that were holding him down, "What did you do to me?!"

  
"Arrow of slowness," One of them explained blankly, like it didn't matter if they knew or not, "You're our prisoners now and will do as instructed."

  
"Like _hell_ we will!" Dream spat out and George was sure he'd never seen Dream this enraged. George didn't fight it when he was grabbed by the arm by one the men.

  
"If you do not listen your friends will suffer then," The male said in a simple tone and Dream stilled, like the hazy fog of anger was finally leaving at least a little. He glanced up and his gaze crossed George's, "Don't make this harder for yourselves."

  
Another male grabbed Bad by the arms while the other two hauled Dream to his feet. Dream struggled a little but blood was running down his arm in a tiny stream. George frowned worriedly. Would they treat Dream? 

  
They were pushed towards the nether fortress and George tried to study his surroundings so he could remember in case of an escape attempt but the panic he was still feeling made everything seem to go by in a rush. Once they made it to the fortress they went through a large archway and led down some steps. It seemed like the pillagers really decked the place out and made it somewhat livable. 

  
There were crafting tables tucked here and there and George saw one room with a blaze stand. There were numerous pillagers wandering around like they _lived_ here. George broke out in a cold sweat and he realized he was breathing too quickly.

  
The men holding them stopped and began to debate, "We need to take them to the dungeons for now."

  
"Yeah and we should separate them," Another said and George actually gasped, but it didn't draw their attention. What _did_ draw their attention was Dream struggling anew.

  
"No!" Dream growled out as he tried to struggle out of their hold. His injury made the effort useless, " _No!_ "

  
"And take their stuff," The third male, the one holding Bad, spoke up, not phased in the least.

  
George gasped again when he was stripped of his pack harshly and he stumbled before being grabbed again. The pillagers grabbed Bad and Dream's pack as well. Then one of the pillagers walked in front of Dream and ripped the mask from his face. Dream started snarling and George found it looked just as scary then as it did when he had the mask _on_ his face.

  
They were forced down a hallway where it split down three different ways. George was being pushed to the left suddenly and he hissed in pain at the tight grip the pillager had on his arm. Dream began shouting, almost panicked, which sounded odd given he also still sounded absolutely enraged, "No! _George!_ "

  
"D-Dream!" George shouted back in his own panic as he was being pushed down the left stairs while Dream was being pushed down the ones in front. He assumed that must mean Bad was also being separated to the right staircase, "Bad!"

  
"Stop struggling," One of the two pillagers holding him warned and George tried glaring at them but failed miserably. 

  
His attention was caught when a lit hallway came into view followed by iron metal bars. He inhaled sharply in shock to see that there were cells and people were actually inside them. It looked like there were two people a cell. A lot of those they passed looked defeated or some were sleeping, not really paying them any attention. How many people did they have here?!

  
He was forced further down the hall and he heard some chatter cut abruptly as he came into view of more iron cells. Before George could really have a look around, he was thrust into a cell right as it was opened and he stumbled to the ground with a grunt. George glared at the men behind him but they didn't even look at him twice before walking off the way they came. 

  
"Hey," A voice called out next to him and George jumped, throwing himself back. There was a man squatting next to him. He had gold leggings and the rest of his armor was iron. He was surprised to see the man armored up before he realized the pillagers never took _their_ armor off them either, "You okay?"

  
The man had black hair and amber-brown eyes. There was some stubble on his chin and under his nose. He blinked when the man rose an eyebrow at him and realized he never answered, "Oh...y-yeah, I'm okay I think."

  
"That's good," The man said as he leaned back to sit cross-legged on the ground, "Welcome to the cells."

  
George rose an eyebrow before jumping when he heard laughter. He glanced to the left to see two people occupying the cell in front of theirs. Both were male and looked younger than George. One had chocolate brown hair and light brown eyes while the other had ink black hair and eyes so dark they looked black.

The brown haired male was the one laughing and he grinned when George looked at him, "Sorry. Its been awhile since we've had a newcomer."

  
"Not true," The ink-black haired male said as he nudged his brown-haired cellmate, "There was a newcomer just two weeks ago, remember? They weren't placed in _here_ though."

  
George felt both curious and lost, "Someone was captured just two weeks ago?"

  
"Yup," The ink-black haired guy answered, nodding as both he and his cellmate studied George, "Don't know who they are though but I heard it was just one person and it's a guy."

  
"Most people are captured in the overworld though," George's cellmate added in and George looked over at him. His cellmate was also studying him curiously, "That's how most of us are captured. Usually people aren't brave enough to come to the nether."

  
"Brave?" George snorted, feeling a rush of emotions all at once, "Try overconfidence..."

  
George thought of Dream and their argument. His heart clenched tightly in his chest and he felt a stupid urge to cry. His cellmate seemed to just know he was getting upset because he spoke up softly, "We all get that way sometimes...was it just you that was captured?"

  
"No my two friends were captured too but they separated us," George explained, frowning sadly. His cellmate nodded.

  
"They do that," The chocolate-brown haired male sighed, "When people are captured in groups they separated them so they don't get any ideas of escaping."

  
"That and its easier to control you if they can threaten your friends' safety," George's cellmate explained with a dark look to his amber eyes. George's heart skipped a beat and he groaned.

  
Why couldn't Dream have just _listened_ to him more?

  
"What's your name by the way?" The ink-black haired male asked him curiously.

  
"I-I'm George," George stammered around the lump in his throat. He tried to reign in his emotions.

  
"Nice! I'm Quackity," The black-haired male grinned and George blinked stupidly at the name. Quackity laughed at his expression, "I love the way people look at me when they learn my name!"

  
George's cellmate snorted in some sort of fond amusement while Quackity's cellmate laughed before looking at George, "I'm Karl! I actually have a _normal_ name don't worry! I'm not like these weirdos!"

  
George chuckled a little, their easygoing atmosphere beginning to calm him down tremendously, "Thank God."

  
There was a distant sound that almost sounded like murmuring and George noticed Karl, Quackity and his own cellmate immediately go quiet. They tensed and George tensed as well, somehow figuring that the murmuring wasn't good. George realized his feeling was right when several pillagers came into view, all of them carrying swords. They stopped in front of George's cell.

  
"Time to work. You and....you there, come on," A pillager gestured to George's cellmate and the other pointed at Quackity. George felt himself grow hot with panic. He had no idea what was happening. What work were they talking about?!

  
George's cellmate stood up, his expression blank like he was used to automatically forming it that way. Quackity looked serious but neither male attempted to defy the pillagers and George was left wondering if they ever tried before. He shivered, unsure he wanted to actually know.

  
"W-Wait!" George blurted as his cellmate went to step out of their shared cell. His cellmate looked at him, shock flashing through his eyes briefly, "W-What's going on? What _work_?! A-Also y-you never told me your name!"

  
His cellmate ignored the impatient pillagers behind him to grin almost cheekily at George like he immediately decided he _liked_ him, "Don't worry, Karl will fill you in."

  
Karl nodded almost grimly from where he was glaring at the pillagers in the cell he shared with Quackity. George's cellmate turned to walk out before the pillagers got too angry and looked over his shoulder at George, giving him a small wave, "I'm Sapnap by the way. See you later!"

  
And then George's eyes slowly widened as it felt like the entire world shifted off it's axis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I really ended it there....👀 I'm sure many of you saw that coming from a mile away though! 🤷 
> 
> Anyways, much more will be explained in the next chapter about what's going on if you're confused! Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading! 🙏


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are discovered as the prisoners get to know each other; emotional rollercoasters are had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you're all doing well! I was SO excited for this chapter! And OMG around 400 kudos and almost 90 bookmarks! That's insane, thank you so much! 😳💞
> 
> WARNING: There's a description of a panic attack (don't want to trigger anyone) and also, there are a lot of new names that come up and new information exchanged so let me know in the comments if you're ever confused!

_"I'm Sapnap by the way. See you later!"_

  
What? What, what, what, what, what, _what?!_

  
"George? Hey, George!" Karl was calling out to him, his voice pitching slightly higher in panic, " _George!_ "

  
George gasped and his chest felt tighter. He gasped again and realized he must have been holding his breath without even noticing it. His chest ached and he shakily forced himself to calm down, drawing in slower breaths.

  
"George, please answer me!" Karl begged and when George glanced at him, he dizzily noticed that Karl's hands were tightly wrapped around the iron bars of his cell, "What happened? Are you okay?"

  
"I-I'm fine," George replied, still sounding out of breath, "I just...got shocked..."

  
"There's no need to panic so much George," Karl said soothingly, not understanding the full extent of George's shock, "I'll explain everything I can, alright?"

  
"I'm freaking out...Sapnap...he's actually _here_!" George gasped out, feeling slightly hysterical at the flow emotions he was experiencing now. He couldn't pinpoint it. Disbelief? Shock? Happiness? Sadness? Excitement?

  
Karl's expression morphed into a confused one, "Okay you lost me. What do you mean he's actually here...?"

  
"Karl...Karl _listen_ , I've been traveling...I've been helping my friend look for Sapnap," George explained in a rush, "And he's actually _here_!"

  
"What do....oh, _o_ h!" Karl looked confused for one second before his eyes widened comically and his jaw dropped opened, "You _know_ Sapnap?"

  
George shook his head, "N-Not, like, personally or anything. Dream does..."

  
"Whose Dream?" Karl asked, looking lost but his eyes were light with growing excitement. George finally paused, feeling himself settling down. Then he felt confused and almost a bit sad.

  
"Sapnap doesn't talk about Dream?" He asked hesitantly, unsure, "Sapnap is Dream's best friend...Dream's been looking for him for five years now since the day he was captured."

  
Karl looked absolutely stunned, "What...what the _honk_?!"

  
"Huh?" George retorted stupidly, surprised by the random word. He supposed that was a mannerism unique to the male the way 'muffin' was to Bad. He almost smiled.

  
"I, well, you see....Sapnap...he doesn't really talk about his past or where he came from..." Karl trailed off, looking down at the ground with eyebrows drawn, "We asked once and he said he lost everyone when he was captured."

  
George's eyes widened as he realized what that meant and his chest filled with despair, "Oh.... _oh no_....he doesn't think Dream is alive...."

  
Karl's head snapped up at that and he frowned, "I guess not..."

  
It was awkwardly silent for a few minutes as George came down from the shock of meeting Sapnap. Karl appeared to be deep in thought. George took one steadying breath and then another before sorting all the questions he had in his head.

  
When George finally spoke up, Karl jumped a little, "Um, Karl...I have so many questions I don't even know where to start really...but um, what work did the pillagers need Sapnap and Quackity for?"

  
"Oh, that..." Karl trailed off, a troubled look forming on his face, "I'm not the greatest at explaining myself so bare with me and interrupt if you're confused alright?"

  
"Okay," George nodded patiently and Karl sighed deeply, staring at the ground.

  
"The pillagers use us to do their dirty work for them," Karl explained with no hidden disgust in his tone, "And by that I mean they make us kill nether creatures for them for their drops; Endermen specifically."

  
George jolted physically, "So they really are looking for ender pearls?"

  
"Yeah that's their priority," Karl replied before looking at George in confusion, "You already knew that?"

  
"No, I...it was just a theory or rumor about the pillagers," George explained as he licked his lips. George went into detail about how the pillagers could possibly be a group that worships the Ender dragon based off their crescent-shaped tattoos.

  
Karl went wide-eyed, "They never tell us _why_ we're getting all this stuff for them...but that actually doesn't sound too crazy."

  
"So, to recap so far, they're capturing people and taking them here to work for them? And by that it means you guys have been killing nether creatures for them?" George reiterated, frowning.

  
"Yes," Karl answered with a small nod, "Though they also make us work around _here_ a little bit too. Just like building small stuff for them and cleaning."

  
"So basically like slaves?" George retorted, feeling rage surging forward in his chest. It must have been in his tone because Karl flicked his eyes towards him and nodded with a empathic expression.

  
It went quiet for a moment until George considered something, "You'd think if they needed ender pearls that they'd have enough by now."

  
"What?" Karl asked, looking at George in surprise.

  
"It's been years since they've been capturing people and making them get drops from nether creatures right? Then why don't they have enough of what they need by now?" George questioned intently, tilting his head in confusion. Karl blinked at him before his expression morphed into a wary one.

  
"Well that's because....uh..." Karl bit his lip and look distressed, making George's eyes widen. Was there no answer or was it hard to think of one? Karl sighed, his shoulders slumping noticeably as he looked sad, "It's because the drops are rare in the nether for one, unlike the overworld, and also....people _die_ here all the time trying to fight the mobs...or due to lava."

  
George sucked in a breath as his eyes widened a tad further, finally understanding why Karl looked so devastated answering that one. George was replying before he really thought about what he was saying, "Eh? People die often here....is that why they keep getting more prisoners?"

  
"Yes," Karl nodded, not looking up from the ground as he brought his knees to his chest and hugged them, "They don't care if we die. They'll try to save us if their own lives won't be in danger and that's only because they need all the slaves they can get."

  
George glared at nothing in particular, another prick of rage surging forth as he glanced down the hall at all the people in other cells. The ones that were either blankly staring into nothing, or looked defeated, or were sleeping. How cruel...then something hit George and he gasped, earning Karl's attention, "What is it?"

  
"If...if people commonly die here...then that means Sapnap's really tough," George blurted, feeling stupid afterwards. However, Karl blinked in surprise before he laughed, a bright smile on his face.

  
"Well, yeah he is! He's a tough bastard," Karl spoke fondly and George was amazed to see the warm look in his eyes. It reminded him of when Dream talked about Sapnap, "But uh...Sapnap...he's been here the longest."

  
"The longest?" George parroted before the words sunk in. George's eyes widened again. 

  
"Yeah, he's seen some things and knows the most about this place," Karl explained as he looked blank. Then he added more quietly, "Everyone that was brought here before or with him has passed by now. He puts on a brave and tough front but it really gets to him, you know?"

  
"Oh...." George frowned sadly, sorrow clenching his chest.

  
"There's a lot of history here for Sapnap," Karl sighed, "It's better if you wait to ask _him_ yourself about it though."

  
George agreed with Karl inwardly. Trying to get personal information about Sapnap from someone else wasn't the right thing to do here so George changed the subject, "Can I ask you how long _you've_ been here Karl?"

  
Karl's eyes widened like he wasn't expecting George to care about his personal story. George gave a sad smile. Karl blinked at the ground, "Uh, for me I've been here for almost two years now I think."

  
"Oh..." George's heart fell to his feet. 

  
"The pillagers treat those of us that have survived longer than a year differently," Karl added and George jolted when he noticed a dark look in Karl's eyes that didn't suit the cheerful, easygoing boy, "They make us go out more than the others."

  
"I see," George frowned, grinding his teeth, "That's....barbaric at best."

  
Karl looked at him, the darkness fading from his eyes as he looked a little amused, "Barbaric....that's the best way to describe them I guess..."

  
George snorted, grinning to himself. Karl let out a little chuckle before he looked at George. His expression turned into one of small wonder, "I can't believe it....so Sapnap's best friend that he thought died is alive and he's here, huh? Sapnap will probably die when he hears about it."

  
"Hopefully not," George retorted, trying to imagine how the conversation will go down, "I'm really glad he's alive though. Dream never doubted he was and I always found that amazing. It's been five years and he refused to doubt."

  
Karl's eyes softened, "Dream sounds like a great guy."

  
George blushed, hiding his face in his knees as his chest ached, "He is..."

* * *

_**Meanwhile a little earlier....** _

  
Dream struggled, panicking so strongly that he wasn't even registering the splitting pain from his shoulder wound as he tried unsuccessfully to push the pillagers holding his arms away. All he could think about were his friends who had been separated from him. Who knows where they're taking them?

  
"Let me go!" Dream growled and he even tried headbutting one of the pillagers, but the pillager moved out of the way, glaring darkly at Dream, "You'll all regret this! You have _no_ idea what's going to come for you."

  
He muttered that last one as darkly as he could as if his rage could have a physical manifestation. The pillagers continued to ignore his threats as they pulled him down a hallway of iron cells. Dream was too busy struggling to notice the effect his fury was having on some of the other prisoners.

  
"Hey!" Dream growled as he was shoved as hard as he could onto the ground. He jumped up and almost made it back to the pillagers but they were quicker and slammed the iron railing doors in his face, "We aren't through here! Where are my friends!? Where's _George_?!"

  
The pillagers simply walked away and Dream thrust his fists against the iron in anger. Despair, self-loathing, and rage was all he could feel. He jumped around when he felt someone touch him.

  
The guy backed up immediately, his expression wary, "Hey, hey, calm down! You aren't helping yourself here!"

  
Dream was breathing heavily and he was briefly stunned to finally realize there were other prisoners around. He looked around, there seemed to be two to a cell. He turned to the guy standing in the cell with him.

  
The man was dark-skinned and had raven-black hair. He also had dark brown eyes and was wearing all iron armor except his chest plate was diamond, much to Dream's shock. The pillagers let him keep that on? Dream looked down at his own armor, stunned in his confusion.

  
"I know it's a lot to process," The man by his side said with a slight lisp to his voice, "Just please don't make a scene anymore."

  
Dream flicked his eyes to him in a glare, "Who the hell are you? Why do we still have our armor? Why-"

  
The guy held up his hands, his expression morphing into annoyance, "Jeez, hold on! We have a lot of time so don't just fire off questions like that. Just calm down and I'll explain stuff."

  
Dream realized he was taking his hostility out on someone who didn't deserve it and took a deep breath. He put a hand on his chest, feeling his heart almost beating out of it. He couldn't reign in his panic. Where was George and Bad? What was happening to them?

  
"Okay, he seems calmer, thank God," A new voice piped up, sounding half annoyed and half amused. Dream whipped his head to look at the cell across from them. Two men occupied the cell; one was leaning against he wall studying him intently while the other was sitting cross-legged on the floor looking tired, "You aren't gonna start yelling at us are you?"

  
"No..." Dream trailed off, staring at them before looking at his cellmate.

  
"Great! I understand you're freaking out. I heard you mention your friends..." His cellmate paused hesitantly, a look of sorrow crossing his face for a split second, "They should be okay. They're just in different cell areas..."

  
Dream didn't get to reply before the guy sitting cross-legged added quickly, "And they separated you guys so that they could punish them if you act out and vice versa. It's crazy annoying really."

  
"And here I thought they were just mindless brutes," Dream groaned, his knees almost giving out. He had to sit heavily on the floor as his heart thudded in his chest. So his friends were safe, technically speaking, until he acted out?

  
"What's your name newbie?" The cross-legged man asked, staring at him like he was sizing up his potential. Dream blinked at him.

  
"I'm Dream," He introduced blankly, fidgeting with his fingers as he tried to stop his mind racing.

  
"Interesting name. I'm Fundy," The cross-legged guy grinned and Dream glanced at him. Fundy had brownish-red hair and brown eyes. He seemed around the same age as Dream but he couldn't be sure.

  
Dream glanced at the guy leaning on the wall. He was still staring at Dream almost curiously, as if he knew something about him. Dream wasn't sure what to make of it, "What are you staring at?"

  
The guy startled out of whatever daze he was in and realized he'd been staring. He smiled sheepishly, "Oh sorry. I was the newest person here and I was just curious about you. There's something about you...like I've met or heard about you before."

  
Dream rose an eyebrow, lost, "I don't think you have. What's your name?"

  
"Oh, sorry, my name's Wilbur," The man shrugged. Dream noted his side-swept curly mahogany hair and dark brown eyes. 

  
"Nope, haven't heard of you before," Dream shook his head and Wilbur hummed, tilting his head, "Wait, you said you were the newest person here before me?"

  
"Yeah I got caught about two weeks ago," Wilbur sighed, looking at the ground in disappointment. Fundy and Dream's cellmate snickered for some reason, "Wasn't careful enough."

  
Dream's breath hitched as his mind immediately went to George. He doubled over, feeling a hot surge of panic. George was right about everything he said since entering the nether. Dream remembers the hurt he felt when George basically called him a mindless barbarian. Dream squeezed his eyes closed as he struggled to breath.

  
"Holy shit, dude, stay with us!" Dream's cellmate was near-yelling and he didn't even realize his cellmate had his hand on his back like he was steadying him. Dream's hearing went fuzzy with white noise for a second before it eventually cleared, "That's it. I know it's rough, dude, but just breath in as much as you can with your nose and breath out with your mouth. That's great!"

  
His cellmate continued to coach him until Dream felt the hotness cool down and he felt his fingers trembling. He recognized the signs of a panic attack and felt ashamed that these strangers had to witness that.

  
But when Dream glanced at them, he didn't see pity. Fundy was looking at him with a soft understanding. Wilbur's eyes looked dark and he was frowning, eyeing the end of the hallway like he was pissed. Dream finally glanced at his cellmate to see nothing but concern and determination.

  
"You good now?" His cellmate murmured and Dream nodded, swallowing around the lump in his throat. He desperately wished he had his mask so they couldn't see his expressions, "Don't feel bad...we've all been there, dude. Especially _me_."

  
Dream quirked an eyebrow at him but his cellmate was frowning at the ground sadly and Dream's expression immediately dropped. His cellmate wasn't kidding, "T-Thanks...uh, what's your name by the way?"

  
His cellmate jumped, blinking in surprise before he laughed nervously, "Oh, right, I didn't even....sorry about that! I'm Skeppy."

  
Dream felt a physical jolt akin to one you'd feel when you fall in your dreams and startle yourself awake. His voice climbed into the highest pitch possible as he strangled out a shout, " _WHAT?!_ "

  
Wilbur, Fundy, and Skeppy all jumped, their eyes widened at him. Dream inhaled sharply, his mind racing, "You're Skeppy?!"

  
Skeppy nodded hesitantly, looking at him as if he were looking at a madman and Dream let out a few chuckles of disbelief, which didn't help. Skeppy took a step back and Wilbur rose an eyebrow, "Lost your mind already, have you?"

  
"I can't _believe_ this," Dream said, ignoring Wilbur and placing a hand to his forehead as he laughed again. He almost felt like he couldn't stop, "Oh my God....!"

  
"Why is it so funny that I'm me?" Skeppy asked incredulously, still keeping his distance.

  
"Because I _know_ you," Dream stressed, before blinking, "At least, a little....I...listen, long story short...I was with my two friends and we've been traveling, following any leads to find our friends. Wait no, I'm butchering this..."

  
They looked at him in interest and Dream was struggling with how to word this. That's why he blurted unintelligently, "I've been traveling with Bad!"

  
Fundy gasped, Wilbur looked confused, and Skeppy froze, his eyes widening like Dream had just told him he had a bomb strapped to him. A myriad of emotions flashed through his eyes ranging from shock, hope, and disbelief. He eventually choked out, " _What?_ "

  
"I met Bad as I was following a lead to find these pillagers," Dream explained, "He was looking for them too so that he could find you."

  
"Are you...are you serious?" Skeppy asked, choking on his words. His eyes locked onto Dream's and Dream was struggling to stay serious looking to convince him. Skeppy laughed once, hope entering his eyes before realization set in, "Oh my God, wait, he's _here_?!"

  
Dream flinched, "Uh, yeah...he and my friend George were separated from me once we got here. They took him down the right hall..."

  
Skeppy's eyes filled with tears and his expression was wild with horror, "Oh my God, oh my _God_ , he's here...I never wanted him to be _here_..."

  
"Skeppy, relax," Fundy spoke up and Dream startled, almost forgetting about the other two, "It'll be alright. We can figure everything out. It won't help if you're panicking, right?"

  
Skeppy was forcing himself to breath and he nodded, looking gratefully at Fundy, "Yes....yes, okay....you're right. Thanks Fundy."

  
Fundy glanced at Dream, his expression hard to tell, "I can't believe you and Bad came here looking for your friends. You got some serious guts man."

  
Dream laughed once before a startling thought occurred to him. His eyes widened and he shot up immediately. The others jumped slightly and he turned to Skeppy, his eyes almost wild and his voice cracking, "Wait...is he...is _he_ here too? My friend he-"

  
"Okay don't work yourself in another panic attack," Fundy soothed, still looking startled as he also stood and held his hands up, "What's your friend's name?"

  
"S-Sapnap," His friend's name fell off his tongue heavily, almost as if he couldn't bring himself to say it. Skeppy and Fundy froze before looking at Dream in shock.

  
Then Fundy grinned and Dream felt the wind rush out of his lungs, "Oh yeah...that tough bastard is here."

  
Dream's legs gave out on him and he fell to the ground with a harsh thud. He shoved his hands into his face immediately because he felt his eyes quickly forming tears of strangled relief and happiness. Sapnap was alive. He really was alive! He's here! He's in the same building as Dream! 

  
Dream bit his lip hard enough to draw blood when he felt a sob building. He didn't want to shame himself more than he already had in front of these guys, no matter how much they might understand. Skeppy didn't seem to have the same reservations because he heard him crying softly.

  
"Wow, what a day," Wilbur suddenly said, sounding like he'd just watched a theater play, "I don't know much about you guys yet but good on you. I'm _happy_ for you."

  
Dream breathed in deep and wiped his face to get rid of the tears that managed to escape before he glanced at Wilbur. Skeppy managed a small strangled laugh, "Thanks man.....I can't believe this..."

  
"I know right?" Fundy snorted, crossing his arms, "First we get this guy and his talks of breaking out and armies then we get _this_ tall dude dropping these bombs on us..."

  
Dream paused, tilting his head as he looked intrigued, "You guys have talked about breaking out of here?"

  
Suddenly they looked wary and glanced down the hall, making Dream do the same. There were no pillagers in sight. Fundy sighed, "Don't say it so loud but....yeah a little. It's mainly been this guy."

  
"Well I understand it's harder for you guys to consider it, since you've been here awhile, but I'm not planning to stay here," Wilbur muttered with a dark look in his eyes.

  
"Me either," Dream frowned, his hands curling into fists, "Especially since I know Sapnap's here now."

  
"Yeah, he's in the left hall of cells so he's probably with that other friend of yours," Skeppy told him and Dream's eyes widened. That would mean George would meet Sapnap. His heart warmed at the idea, even if the circumstances were horrible. He also felt a little relieved. He wasn't sure how much Sapnap has changed, but he figured George would be safe with Sapnap.

  
Dream let out a shaky sigh, putting a hand on his chest, which felt tight like he'd pulled a muscle there, "This is crazy..."

  
"You're telling me," Skeppy sighed as well, looking at the ground hazily, "Is Bad....has he been okay?"

  
For once, Dream actually smiled as he thought about Bad, "Yeah, he's okay....he's unusually cheerful and optimistic."

  
Skeppy laughed, his face brightening slightly, "Wilbur...I take back what I said the other day. I don't care what we have to do. We're getting the _hell_ out of here."

  
"Skeppy!" Fundy gasped, looking stunned. Wilbur appeared taken off guard as well and Dream was left wondering why.

  
"We'll figure it out, Fundy. I don't care how long it takes," Skeppy growled out, "We'll make sure we have a plan so great that they won't be able to threaten the others."

  
Dream's eyes widened as he suddenly understood, "Right...you said when we act out they threaten to hurt our friends."

  
"No, not threaten," Fundy frowned, his eyes dark, "They're always _threatening_ us but if we actually act out, they punish our friends for it. It's....."

  
He trailed off and Dream felt like he understood, his own face darkening in rage. How could these people do this to them or to any other person in general?

Wilbur looked at them contemplatively, "We can take it slow....plan it out stage by stage....if we can we need to mention it to the others when we go out."

  
"Go out?" Dream asked in confusion. Skeppy jumped.

  
"Oh right! Sorry, I'll explain," Skeppy smiled sheepishly, "So the pillagers make us work for them. Sometimes it's just odd jobs like building things for them but most of the time its fighting nether creatures."

  
"Seriously?" Dream said, his eyebrows furrowing in disbelief. He was beginning to believe the rumors about the pillagers were true.

  
"Yes. Everyday they choose two people from each of the three halls of cells and take them out to kill nether creatures. Mainly it's Endermen they want us to kill," Fundy explained and then he sighed, "We know they put priority on ender pearls but it's such a rare drop and the Endermen are deadly."

  
"How do they stop you guys from acting out if you're grouped up like that?" Dream asked curiously.

  
"Other than having the threat of our friends' punishment over our heads?" Fundy snorted, "They always monitor us in a big group when we're forced to go out. They have this red stone device that rings an alarm back here that lets the pillagers here know to begin punishments."

  
"Damn..." Dream tsked and then he frowned.

  
Things went quiet for a second. Dream felt mentally and emotionally drained. He glanced down the hall towards the stairs and felt his heart clench in his chest. He really hoped George and Bad were okay. If they experienced the same shock as him at meeting the other prisoners then he was sure they were probably feeling just as drained as him...

Dream flinched when the sound of someone sobbing echoed through the halls. His heart skipped a beat and he almost jumped when Fundy and Skeppy leapt to their feet with wide eyes. Dream immediately stood as well when two pillagers appeared down the stairs. They were hauling a short man who was sobbing into the cell near the stairs before leaving.

"Oh..." Skeppy said in tone mixed with sadness and anger, "He was one of the two that were taken out of here earlier, before you arrived."

"I see..." Dream trailed off, not taking his eyes of the man sobbing uncontrollably on the floor. He didn't think about it before, but the pillagers took many of the young people when they raided a village and Dream was sure most of them didn't know enough about fighting to take on nether creatures. Dream's hands balled into fists, "Then...I guess that means the person that was taken with him didn't make it?"

"No..." Skeppy whispered and then he sighed, sitting back on the floor, "And that happens a lot here, obviously."

Dream glanced over at Wilbur, who appeared stone-faced as he also watched the man sob on the floor. Fundy was sitting again and glaring at his knees. It was infuriating how much control the pillagers had here but Dream couldn't imagine what Fundy and Skeppy were feeling as they've been here for a long time. And Sapnap.....Dream's eyes widened as he imagined Sapnap, George, or Bad out there being forced to fight nether creatures for these cowards.

"There's no way in hell," Dream growled out loud, startling the others.

"Dream?" Wilbur asked warily, tilting his head. Dream looked at him seriously.

"We're definitely gonna escape from here. I don't care what we have to do either," Dream muttered darkly as their eyes widened, "I'm _not_ letting my friends die in this place. So I'm gonna need your help."

Wilbur smirked, Fundy laughed once, and Skeppy brightened considerably.

* * *

George waited impatiently for Sapnap to return. He felt like he was going to explode with the news he wanted to tell the other male as soon as he returned. He'd only managed to distract himself by questioning Karl and vice versa. Karl was exceptionally talkative when he didn't seem to be in a slump.

So far they exchanged a little information such as their age and things they liked. Karl avoided talking about where he came from and George understood that so much. And then they talked about Dream and Bad.

"This is so crazy...I can't- _Bad's_ here too..." Karl trailed off, his eyes glazing over. When George first told Karl about Bad, he was stunned that Karl knew who he was talking about. Soon he realized it was because Skeppy was somewhere captive here and must talk about him. George felt ecstatic that his friend's loved ones were here, even if 'here' was some horrible place. They were alive and for now that's all that mattered to George.

"I know what you mean...I've heard so much about Sapnap and Skeppy," George started and he licked his lips, "So hearing that they're actually _here_...it almost doesn't feel real."

Karl stared at him, "Your buddy Dream was taken down the center hall right?"

"Yup."

"Then he's with Skeppy," Karl said with a beam and George's eyes widened, "Those of us that have been here for awhile...we know which hall the others are in. They don't tend to move us to different cells unless they think they absolutely _have_ to."

"Makes sense," George frowned, "Bad was taken down the right hall of cells....who is in there?"

"The ones that have been here longest in those cells are Antfrost, Ranboo, and Nihachu. We call her Nikki by the way!" Karl supplied cheerfully and George rose an eyebrow, surprised. He didn't see many women in the cells and it must have been because they all tragically....

Karl glanced at him when he noted his silence and must have known what he was thinking because his smile turned bitter, "Whenever there's a girl in our group we do our best to protect them _but_...."

George nodded, his throat clogging up with thickness. How horrible. They both flinched when they heard noise down the hall. It distantly sounded like sobbing. George's heart leapt into his throat as Sapnap and Quackity appeared in view of the stairs with three pillagers behind them. Both of them look devastated and George was left wondering what in the hell happened while they were 'out'.

As they drew closer, George tried to catch Sapnap's eye but he froze when he saw how pissed Sapnap looked. His eyes were wide and wild with barely concealed rage while his teeth were clenched so tightly George wondered if he cracked a tooth yet. George shot the pillagers a filthy look when they pushed Sapnap in the cell before doing the same to Quackity in his own cell, locking it again and leaving.

"Quackity! Are you okay?!" Karl fretted as his hands hovered near the man, who nodded. Quackity looked more devastated in the sad sense where Sapnap was enraged. Karl's voice quieted down, "What happened?"

"We lost someone," Quackity replied just as quietly and George jumped out of his skin when Sapnap suddenly punched a wall, letting out an angry wail, "Sapnap...."

"I was _so_ close to him!" Sapnap growled out as his hands shook, "He was right _there_! But that Endermen just...."

George swallowed, desperately trying not to picture someone being torn apart effortlessly by a deadly Endermen. Karl frowned sadly, "Sap...it sounds like you did everything you could."

Sapnap's lips tightened as he turned and slid down the wall. He sighed, his voice muffled by his sleeves, "Wasn't _enough_."

"Did you get any pearls...?" George asked hesitantly and then wanted to slap himself for sounding like he didn't care what Sapnap and Quackity just went through. They both looked at him but they didn't look angry.

"No..." Quackity shook his head, "We only managed to kill two Endermen but the third one...."

George nodded his head in grim understanding, "Sorry...."

"Did Karl fill you in on how things are done here?" Sapnap asked, changing the subject. George was thankful but now he wasn't sure how to approach the subject of Dream to Sapnap. 

"Y-Yeah...I understand a little better now. He also told me about the other prisoners..." George trailed off and Sapnap seemed a little surprised by that but he didn't comment on it, "Actually, I have something to tell you...but I'm sure you'll freak out and I'm not sure how to do it."

Sapnap blinked at him but didn't look wary at all. Instead he looked morbidly curious, "Uh, okay? Just take it step by step then."

George felt kind of relieved as he nodded, "Okay, well...so a couple of months ago I saved this guy outside my village. He was hurt so I fixed him up and he also saved me so I decided to travel with him."

"Okay...?" Sapnap tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. George glanced at Karl and Quackity. Both of them were also staring at him curiously. George realized he hadn't really told Karl this much either.

"He told me he was traveling looking for the pillagers with the spiky crescent-shaped tattoos…" George explained before biting his lip. He didn't want to just outright say it and shock Sapnap, but he felt like he was explaining this awkwardly.

"You're talking about the two friends you got captured with, right?" Sapnap asked for clarification and George nodded.

"Yeah, I mean, we met the other one on the way because my friend heard he was also looking for this group. Both of my friends are looking for these pillagers because their friends were captured," George said in a rush. Sapnap blinked.

Sapnap's face scrunched up in confusion and sympathy, "They were captured? What are their friends' names? Maybe we know them."

George looked almost helplessly at Karl, he was panicking. Karl just smiled at him and jerked his head towards Sapnap in a nod. George nodded and sighed deeply before he looked seriously at Sapnap, "I've been traveling with Badboyhalo and Dream trying to find you and Skeppy."

Quackity inhaled sharply, his eyes going wide like he was just punched in the stomach. Sapnap's eyes also went wide, his tan skin paling. George fidgeted under his intense staring until he realized that Sapnap wasn't actually focused on _him_. George supposed he was in shock, "S-Sapnap?"

"Give him a minute," Karl spoke up and George looked at him anxiously. Karl just smiled again. George looked back at Sapnap hesitantly and it was a moment longer before Sapnap's mouth seemed to catch up with his brain, "How do- _what._..?"

"I met Dream a couple of months ago and decided to help him look for you," George reiterated slowly, "He's been looking for you the whole time these past five years."

To George's shock, Sapnap's mouth fell open and tears filled his eyes so quickly it didn't seem real. Sapnap clamped his mouth shut like he was holding back a sob but he couldn't prevent the tears leaking from his eyes. George felt his heart go out to him because Sapnap looked like he was struggling to accept what he was hearing, "But _how_ \- he was....there was _so_ much blood, there's no way he- didn't even _move_..."

Sapnap was speaking brokenly and George frowned sadly, moving closer to the other male. George lifted a shaky hand and hesitantly placed it on Sapnap's shoulder. He jumped when Sapnap's face shot up and he focused his teary eyes on George's face, "You better not be lying to me...he's _actually_..."

"Dream's alive," George promised, hoping his expression looked serious enough. George gasped when Sapnap doubled over on him, ending with Sapnap's wet face in George's shoulder. He let Sapnap sit there and cling for a few moments before speaking up again, "He's in the center hall..."

Sapnap sniffed, "Th-That means he's with Skeppy and Fundy for sure..."

"This is great Sapnap!" Karl suddenly cheered, his loud voice startling many of them. Quackity laughed but it almost sounded strangled.

"Bad and Dream actually being here? That's almost a dream come true!" Quackity laughed out, "Pun intended."

George chuckled and Sapnap sniffled again before leaning back and wiping his face harshly. George smiled at him when Sapnap looked at him sheepishly, "Sorry I turned into a complete wuss there for a second. I..."

"I don't think that makes you a wuss," George denied genuinely, "You just found out your best friend is alive after all these years. By the way, Dream never once thought you were dead."

Sapnap's eyes widened in surprise before his look softened, "He's such a cocky dumbass..."

"Yeah he is," George nodded and Sapnap looked surprise again before laughing, "I'm sure he's probably doing something stupid in his cell right now."

"Poor Skeppy!" Karl laughed and Quackity shook his head with a huge grin.

"I still can't believe this..." Sapnap sighed, his smile dying down, "Dream's actually alive and you're telling me he's _here_..."

"He is," George grinned as he grabbed Sapnap's hand and squeezed it soothingly, "And now that I know you're here, I'm gonna stop at _nothing_ to make sure you guys can be together again!"

Sapnap looked at him with huge eyes before he shocked George by throwing his head back and laughing loudly, " _Ahahaha!_ You make us sound like long-lost lovers!"

Karl and Quackity were apparently dying of laughter too and George couldn't be bothered to feel embarrassed about his awkwardness when he finally made them laugh like this.

* * *

"You said Bad's a _what_ now?" Skeppy asked incredulously, his voice pitching higher for a moment in hysterical amusement.

"He's a traveling librarian," Dream smirked and Skeppy wailed into laughter, "I'm _serious_! You should see how many books he has in his pack!"

"I can't say I've heard of a traveling librarian," Fundy chuckled as he watched Skeppy cry from laughter. Even Wilbur was chuckling.

"You think _that's_ funny then you should have seen how George reacted when he learned Bad's name," Dream laughed out, "Bad was all like, 'I'm Badboyhalo'! Even _I_ was shocked but George looked stupefied!"

"Stop! I'm gonna pee myself!" Skeppy cried and Dream laughed a little louder, near wheezing. Fundy looked at him disbelief and that only made Dream want to laugh more. After the seriousness from earlier, Dream and Skeppy had been exchanging short stories. Fundy sometimes chimed in.

"Wait," Wilbur suddenly said, his voice going deep with seriousness. Skeppy and Dream's laughter died down as they all looked at him in confusion, "You just said _Badboyhalo_?"

"Yeah?" Dream cocked his head in confusion at Wilbur, who's eyes subtly widened, "Why? Do you know Bad?"

"No, not personally. But I know someone who knows him," Wilbur explained and Skeppy straightened, "I didn't put two and two together before. You know Technoblade, right Dream?"

Dream sucked in a breath, "Yeah! He's the one that gave us this lead to the nether in the first place!"

Wilbur smiled and nodded, "Techno is the one that sent me out to investigate the rumor of people trapped in the nether."

"Oh!" Dream gasped. He remembered, distantly, about when they met Technoblade and how he said he was sending someone he trusted to look into the rumor. Dream couldn't believe he was staring at the guy though, "Techno _did_ tell us he was sending someone he trusted to look into things."

"Who is Techno?" Fundy asked with a brow raised as both he and Skeppy stared almost impatiently at the two.

Dream looked at Wilbur for an explanation as well, because he figured it'd be better for someone who actually knew more things about Techno to explain. Wilbur caught Dream's eye and seemed to make a decision about something, "Well, Technoblade is kind of the leader of a large prosperous village. It's one of the biggest villages in recorded history because it's been built up on over the years."

"What do you mean he's _kind_ of the leader?" Dream questioned at once, remembering what Techno wore and how he held himself.

"Techno doesn't really like being a leader, he's more of a warrior," Wilbur explained with a fond smirk, "It's the villagers that appointed him the leader. The actual 'King' of the village is someone else in name."

"And he doesn't mind that the villagers want Techno as leader instead of him?" Skeppy asked with an incredulous expression.

Wilbur shrugged, "No, the actual leader's a nice, chill guy. Anyways, Techno is going to absolutely lose his shit when my letters stop coming in."

Dream snorted, "I'll bet but, I'm curious....you seem to know him pretty well. Are you close?"

"I would hope so," Wilbur barked out a laugh and his eyes shone in amusement, "We're adopted brothers."

"What?!" Dream gasped, stunned. He wasn't expecting _that_ exactly.

"Whoa," Fundy laughed out, "So you'll have someone big looking for you soon, huh?"

"Yeah," Wilbur nodded, still amused, "Once Techno works out that I might have been captured, he'll be organizing a group to the nether with himself as leader, knowing him."

"Wait, really?" Skeppy asked with a stunned expression, "If he's a bigshot and he comes _here_....that could help us with an escape plan a lot..."

"I just don't know when or what to expect," Wilbur said with more seriousness in his voice, "I just know that he'll raise hell when he finds out I'm captured in the nether."

"Let's hope he brings a lot of people," Dream said as he felt a distant excitement building. If Techno brings a group, Dream knows it'll be a group that knows what they're doing and they'll actually have a decent shot of getting out of here without losing anyone.

"Got anymore of those big-shot brothers, Wilbur?" Fundy joked, laughing a bit. Wilbur rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't call him a big-shot or his ego will explode, but I do have another adopted brother. His name is Tommy but he's just a kid...younger than me and Techno," Wilbur trailed off as his eyes glazed over. Dream recognized that Wilbur was becoming a little sad, "But he's actually pretty crazy so he'll also freak out when he learns I'm captured. And don't even get me _started_ on our dad."

"Your dad?" Skeppy parroted, "Is he just as crazy as your brothers then?"

A glint entered Wilbur's eyes, "No, he's a lot worse where _we're_ concerned. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up killing half the pillagers here after Techno."

Dream shivered for some reason and felt more excitement building. Dream was suddenly reminded of his argument with George. How he was always mindlessly going into battle. Dream knew he liked fighting and he liked the adrenaline, not to mention the feeling of a challenge but he was determined to be smart about any escape plan and approach things from every side this time.

Dream wasn't going to let himself be as overly confident in himself as he was last time; not when he had people to lose if he failed this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! I hope I pegged Dream, Sapnap, and Skeppy's reactions realistically. Poor Sapnap though...there's still so much more to learn about him...Wilbur as well! More will be explored next chapter!! 
> 
> Anyways, there were a lot of new names thrown around and I hope you didn't get confused. Let me know in the comments if you are and I'll do my best to address it! 🙏💖


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George gets selected to fight for the pillagers and meets the mysterious Ranboo. Dream and the others get to know Wilbur more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I was having a lot of trouble this week but I was still excited to get this update out! I hope to God it's not messy, haha! 🙏🙏
> 
> Thanks so much for all the support! This story officially hit 90 bookmarks, how crazy! 🥺💓
> 
> ALSO IMPORTANT NOTE: I wrote Ranboo's character in before I really watched any of the streams for his character arch in the Dream SMP. So in other words, I AM NOT strictly following the SMP version of his character!! I hope you Ranboo fans won't be too disappointed with how I am writing him. I LOVE Ranboo's character, ughh!! 💓💓

That first night in the cells weren't as bad as George was expecting and that was due entirely to the three prisoners George now began to see as his new friends. It was impossible to think otherwise with how the four them got along together, despite just meeting each other. George wondered what it would have been like if they had all grown up together.

  
They talked together, laughed together, and somewhat avoided talking about anything that would upset the cheerful atmosphere they were trying to create. George understood, especially after what happened when Sapnap and Quackity went out. He was already told it was a common occurrence and to people that actually value human life, George couldn't imagine how they've handled it this long.

  
So George avoided talking about the pillagers for now and just enjoyed the rest of the night talking about silly stories and personal likes or dislikes with the others. Eventually they got so tired they fell asleep but George and Quackity were the last ones to succumb to slumber.

  
George was surprised when Sapnap fell asleep curled up close to him, a hand partially on George's like he fell asleep making sure George was still there. It made him incredibly sad somehow. George caught Quackity staring at them with a empathic frown and had quietly told George, "He hasn't had a cellmate in little over a year....and I think they did that on purpose."

  
Instant rage was building in his chest at Quackity's words. George was almost surprised by how angered he was so suddenly. He didn't know what to do with those feelings so instead he pushed it to the back of his brain, bid Quackity a good night, and laid down right beside Sapnap before falling into his own restless slumber.

* * *

The next morning, Sapnap woke up before George. When George finally zoned in on the quiet mumbling and opened his eyes, George noticed that Sapnap was sitting right beside him, as if he had woken up and decided not to move. That's when George noticed that he was holding Sapnap's wrist. He gasped lightly and immediately removed his hand, "Sorry...."

  
"Don't be!" Sapnap laughed a little, "Good morning, by the way!"

"Yeah, good morning!" Karl added in a chirpy voice. Quackity simply waved, smirking over at George.

  
George immediately relaxed and smiled back at them until he noticed they were holding bowls in their hands, "What's that?"

  
"Breakfast," Sapnap answered, his tone dropping into seriousness, "They delivered it, like, just five minutes ago. I have yours here. We also have water."

  
"I guess that makes sense. Need to keep us strong enough to fight for them," George quipped, his anger from last night returning. The other three said nothing but their looks portrayed their sentiment to what he said. Sapnap handed him a bowl from his other side as well as a water bottle. George blinked, unsure what he thought he was going to see but definitely not expecting it to be a bowl of plain white rice.

  
"It's actually not that bad but one _does_ get tired of rice," Quackity joked and George couldn't muster a smile if he tried. Thinking about them eating this same bland meal each day for years made his chest ache. Sapnap must have understood him, he seemed to be able to understand him naturally, because he gave a small sympathetic smile.

  
"Eat up, dude," Sapnap told him, "You'll definitely need it. You're like a twig."

  
"Excuse me?" George glared over at him and Sapnap laughed around the rice in his mouth making George wince in disgust. Karl and Quackity laughed at the sight. George rolled his eyes and ate in silence, not dignifying that comment with a response. He wasn't twig-like for real, was he? George briefly glanced at his thin arms and almost winced again. 

  
Sapnap finished eating before any of them and set his bowl aside before turning to face George more. George rose an eyebrow at the set look of curiosity in his gaze, "Hey, can I ask you some things?"

  
"Sure," George nodded, already sure what he was going to ask about. He tried not to smile to himself.

  
"So, like, you said you met Dream near your village and you helped him?" Sapnap asked and George nodded immediately. Karl and Quackity went quiet as they turned their heads to stare at the pair. The curiosity grew in Sapnap's eyes, "How did you help him? Why did he need help?"

  
"Oh he....he was attacked by a random group of pillagers," George explained slowly, trying to remember every detail, "He was following a lead when it happened. He got a pretty nasty cut in his side that got infected and I found him near my village. So I fixed him up."

  
"I see..." Sapnap grinned, "So even Dream can lose a fight...he's always so cocky about winning..."

  
George shrugged, feeling his chest ache as he responded quietly, " _Any_ strong person can be overwhelmed by a group..."

  
Something in George's tone made Sapnap's eyes widen and he quickly changed the subject, "So...why did you decide to start traveling with him?"

  
"I....well its-" George cut himself off to gather himself again and Sapnap rose an eyebrow.

  
"George? You okay? You're paling..." Karl trailed off, looking concerned. George swallowed heavily.

  
"Yeah, sorry...well at first I didn't really _agree_ to leave my village with Dream. It just sort of...happened?" George explained and all three of them looked confused. George sighed, "Um, so the villagers in my village didn't really accept or like me...and one of them saw me help Dream apparently and they didn't really like that...."

  
"Oh...." Quackity winced, "So they got mad at you?"

  
George nodded hesitantly, "They demanded I leave the village for 'endangering' them as they put it. They threw me to the ground and one of them even threw a rock at my head. Then Dream helped me escape..."

  
When he glanced up, George was surprised to see the angry look on Sapnap's face and his heart skipped a beat before he realized Sapnap was probably angry for his sake, "Wow, you had it pretty rough huh?"

  
Something about that made him feel guilty. Rough? Well he'd pretty much been shunned and ignored most of his life but compared to everything _they've_ been through, it didn't feel right to call it rough. George shrugged, "I was glad Dream got me out. After that he told me he was traveling to find _you_ and I decided to help him because he helped me."

  
"I see now," Sapnap hummed as he glanced at George, "And how long ago did that happen?"

  
"About a couple of months ago I believe," George replied, meeting Sapnap's gaze, "We met Bad a couple weeks after meeting each other."

  
Sapnap made a noncommittal noise as his eyes glazed over in thought. George cocked his head as he watched him. It was clear Sapnap's questions about Dream weren't ending soon, but George was prepared for that. 

  
"What's Dream like...?" Sapnap asked suddenly and George blinked over at him, confused. Shouldn't he know what Dream's like? "I mean...I guess I'm just curious how much he's changed."

  
"Oh," George's eyes widened as he understood. He looked up, thinking deeply, "Well I don't know what he used to be like, of course, but he's very wary and easily suspicious of people he doesn't know anything about."

  
"He's always kinda been that way," Sapnap nodded, his lips quirking into a small smile. 

  
"He's really good with weapons, particularly with swords, axes, and even hand to hand combat. He'd been teaching me recently," George confessed and Sapnap laughed, a bright look on his face.

  
"He always wasn't that bad before but I bet he's gotten all _badass_ now," Sapnap grinned and George smiled at how happy Sapnap looked hearing about Dream.

  
"He likes making dumb jokes and teasing people," George sighed and he heard Karl laugh really loud across the room. George grinned, "Also, for some reason, he doesn't view himself as kind but he really _is_ once he gets past the wariness. He's also pretty protective."

  
Sapnap's grin widened at that as he leaned closer, "Is he super protective of you then?"

  
George's eyes widened and he stammered, "U-Uh...kinda? He's like that with _all_ his friends though."

  
For whatever reason, Sapnap's smile fell an inch and he considered George very seriously suddenly, as if George said something that gave away a secret. Quackity spoke up, distracting him, "Sounds like you and Dream are pretty close."

  
"And Bad..." George added, a funny feeling in his stomach. He was reminded of his conversation with Bad and blushed a little. He noticed a weird look in Sapnap's eyes and felt his heart drop into his stomach as a sudden thought hit him, "Um, we _are_ pretty close. We're best friends but, uh, he still values you the most Sapnap."

  
"Huh?" Sapnap said, his eyes going large.

  
"I don't want you to think that...uh..." George trailed off, suddenly feeling awkward.

  
"Oh my God!" Karl laughed loudly again and George jumped, looking over at him in confusion, "He thinks you're gonna be mad thinking George replaced you."

  
"Ohh- _ho_ my God!" Sapnap gasped before laughing just as hard, Quackity soon joined in. George turned red in embarrassment, not understanding why that was so funny, "No, George, I'm not....it's not....I was close to Dream and its not like that means he can't be close to others. I don't feel upset about that or anything!"

  
George felt mild relief but he still felt embarrassed, "Then why did you have that weird look on your face when we talked about being close?"

  
Sapnap smirked, "Oh, I was just curious about your reactions that's all...you got kinda defensive when I asked if he was super protective of you..."

  
"Well thats…" George stopped speaking, staring at the ground. He felt unsure what to say. He didn't really want to talk about his conversation with Bad. This didn't feel like the time or the place.

  
Sapnap, as usual, must have noticed it was something he didn't want to talk about because he changed the subject again. He whined, "Ugh, I just want to _see_ him already! I hope he gets put in a group with me soon!"

  
George smiled a little, "He'll definitely be more excited to see _you_."

  
"He might even cry," Karl teased and George laughed because he couldn't imagine that but at the same time he _could_. Sapnap chuckled.

  
"Dream doesn't cry easily so that'd be a sight to see," Sapnap sighed wistfully, "It's not like I don't believe you, George, but I just want to see him alive in the flesh with my own eyes."

  
"I get it," George said gently.

  
The sound of multiple footsteps froze all conversation and George flinched when Sapnap quickly jumped to his feet with practiced ease. Karl and Quackity were also standing, blank looks on their faces, so George decided to stand as well. He stood off to the side, behind Sapnap.

  
The pillagers stopped at the third cage from the staircase, "You...come along."

  
The man chosen looked defeated already and offered no resistance as he walked out of his cage. His cellmate wasn't even looking at him. George felt his heart go out to them until the pillagers came to a stop right at the cage he shared with Sapnap. 

  
They pointed at George, "And you....come out."

  
"What?! It's his _first_ morning here!" Sapnap yelled, his eyes widening. Karl sucked in a breath and George felt his heart stutter in his chest.

  
"Come out. Don't make us ask again," The pillagers ignored Sapnap save for one that sneered at him. Sapnap snarled back. George stood frozen to the spot. He was going to be forced out into the nether again? He barely felt like he could survive it the _first_ time and he had been with Dream and Bad then!

  
"One last warning. Come out _now_. Don't make us go punish the masked man," One of the pillagers said and George stopped moving. He glanced up wildly.

  
"Fine! I swear to _God._..." George trailed off, anger bleeding into his tone. He was completely unprepared for them to suddenly and directly threaten Dream, even if he technically wasn't masked anymore; they still knew to refer to him as such so George knew who they were talking about. He was briefly confused why it was _just_ Dream they were threatening him with and not also Bad.

  
George clenched his fists and ground his teeth together to keep from saying something stupid as he walked towards the cell doors.

  
" _Wait!_ " Sapnap grabbed his arm tightly and spun him around so that George faced him. Sapnap looked absolutely panicked, "You remember the names of the other prisoners, right? The ones that have been here for awhile?"

  
"Yeah..." George nodded, glancing uneasily as the pillagers bristled with rage.

  
"Good. Stick with them. They know what to do," Sapnap urged and George almost winced with how hard Sapnap squeezed his arm then, "Make sure you come back."

  
George knew better than to actually promise that so he nodded but couldn't muster any confident smile. He nodded briefly to a distraught looking Karl and Quackity before he was almost dragged out of his cell and pushed alongside the random prisoner to the staircase.

* * *

Once he and the other random prisoner were pushed up the flight of stairs, they were forced to go up to the platform where George remembered the pillagers stopping to discuss when he was captured. As they came into view of the platform, George blinked when he saw four other people. Then he realized they were other prisoners from the other two hall of cells.

  
Immediately two of the prisoners' eyes were on him curiously and George knew it was because he was a newcomer and they didn't recognize him. Two of the other prisoners joined the random one that had been forced to come from George's hall of cells. 

  
He wasn't sure what to do as the pillagers shuffled into action around them. He counted at least fifteen so Karl hadn't been joking when he explained how tightly monitored the prisoners were even when they were forced to go out in groups. George jumped when two of the prisoners slid closer to him.

  
One of them looked relatively normal while the other.... _did not_. The normal one had dark skin, black hair, and dark brown eyes while the not so normal one looked like something George had never seen before. The man was freakishly tall, taller than anyone here including _Dream_. Half his body seemed to be as pale as a ghost while the other half was light black. His hair matched his body as one half was as dark as coal and the other half was bone white. One of his eyes were bright green and the other was bright red. Was he even _human_?

  
"Hello...." The man spoke up and George jumped, realizing he'd been staring this whole time. He was also caught off guard by the normal sound of the man's voice; it was weird but George swore he kind of sounded a bit like Technoblade.

  
"Hi...uh sorry for, um, staring...." George apologized, blushing a little in embarrassment. The man just smiled kindly.

  
"It's okay. It happens a lot," He shrugged, "It's only natural."

  
"Natural," The dark-skinned man snorted before glancing back at George, "So, we haven't seen you before. Are you George?"

  
George's eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat, "How did you know that?"

  
"I _knew_ it!" The dark-skinned man and the tall man exchanged grins. George was still stupefied that this man that didn't look like a human seemed so kind so far, "I'm Skeppy and this is Ranboo."

  
"You're Skeppy?!" George choked, physically jolting. Skeppy laughed brightly.

  
" _Déjà vu,_ " Skeppy laughed out, "Yeah and before you get into it, I know. Bad's here. Ranboo was just filling me in on how well he's doing..."

  
George stared at them incredulously before he remembered something Sapnap said about Skeppy, "Wait, Skeppy, right? So you're in the same hall as Dream?!"

  
"He's my cellmate," Skeppy smiled, nodding his head as he studied George, "He's told me about you. I didn't think you'd be in a group so _soon_ though..."

  
"Didn't seem to matter to them," George trailed off darkly but his heart was still hammering in his chest from the confirmation. Skeppy was Dream's cellmate. George opened his mouth to ask something but that died off his tongue when a few pillagers came close with a cart full of weapons.

  
"You know the drill. Pick your weapon," One of the pillagers ordered blandly and George frowned. All of the pillagers were armed but they didn't seem worried about supplying weapons to the prisoners. Then he remembered the pillagers liked to threaten the other prisoners' safety to keep them in line.

  
George walked up to the cart and felt a few of the pillagers' eyes following his every move. He did his best to ignore that as he scanned the weapons. There were swords, axes, bows, crossbows, and even shields. George immediately grabbed one of those shields and a diamond sword. He jumped when Skeppy grabbed a diamond sword as well. Most of the prisoners grabbed a sword or an axe and almost all of them got shields.

  
George stepped back and he couldn't help but notice a couple of the pillagers actually tensed when Ranboo stepped up to grab a diamond sword. George wondered why he was the only one that didn't bother grabbing a shield. After Ranboo picked his weapon, he simply stepped back on George's other side. 

  
"Okay. Follow," One of the pillagers ordered and George glanced around at the others. Skeppy and Ranboo had this blank look on their faces while the three other random prisoners already looked sickly.

  
"Time for a long walk," Skeppy muttered under his breath and George peeked at Ranboo, unable to help himself.

  
Ranboo, of course, caught him staring again but he just smiled, "Are you nervous, George?"

  
"U-Uh, yeah. I'm not the best warrior...." George confessed and he glanced at the ground uneasily, "I don't have a lot of experience..."

  
"Just stay close to me then," Ranboo told him and George blinked at his tone. It wasn't quite over-confidence like he was used to hearing in Dream's tone, but there was something final about it; it was as if Ranboo truly believed that if George stayed with him he wouldn't be hurt. Period. 

  
Skeppy made a face before he grinned, "Ranboo's right. Anyone's lucky when Ranboo's in the group."

  
"Stop you're going to make me blush," Ranboo smirked and Skeppy laughed, smothering it behind his hand so the pillagers didn't notice. George was still too confused to be amused.

  
"C-Can I ask you about your skin or is that too insensitive?" George trailed off, sounding as awkward as he felt. Ranboo chuckled once.

  
"It's not. I was born looking like this...at least as far as I remember," Ranboo explained and a far-away look entered his differently colored eyes, "I don't have a lot of memories...."

  
"Sorry..." George whispered. It must have been horrible to not remember a lot about your life. Ranboo looked down at him.

  
"Its okay. It is what it is," Ranboo replied nonchalantly, seeming as though it didn't bother him much, "But yeah, I've always looked like this and I'm used to the staring."

  
"Are you human?" George blurted and immediately wanted to die in a hole with the way Skeppy gaped at him incredulously. Ranboo looked startled before he barked out a laugh so loud a few of the pillagers tensed and stared at them as they walked.

  
They were just out of the fortress and back in the warped forest that George remembered being captured in. Ranboo glanced at George again and said quietly, "There's some questions I can't answer because of.... _you know_."

  
Ranboo gestured to the pillagers with his head and George's eyes widened in understanding. Ranboo didn't want the pillagers to hear the answer. This only heightened his curiosity but he knew better than to push any questions at someone.

  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to blurt that out. Sometimes I'm just so...." George stopped, sighing deeply, "Sorry.."

  
"It's all good," Ranboo grinned, showing sharp teeth. George shuddered.

  
"How can someone that looks so intimidating be so easy-going and nice?" Skeppy muttered as he shook his head. Ranboo snickered, "Even the pillagers are intimidated by him, you noticed that, right George?"

  
"I...I did," George nodded, looking around at the forest and ignoring pillagers that walked around their group, eyeing them every few seconds. He decided he needed to change the subject away from Ranboo, "Skeppy...um, how is Dream doing...?"

  
Skeppy's eyes widened and he glanced at him, "He's doing better than he was. We've been swapping stories about Sapnap and Bad."

  
"So he knows that Sapnap is alive?" George asked, feeling a budding smile grow on his face as he imagined Dream's reaction.

  
"Yeah and he knows he's with you," Skeppy grinned brightly, "He seemed relieved when I told him that."

  
"Sapnap is my cellmate," George chuckled, "We've also been sharing stories...."

  
"There's a lot I need to tell you about but..." Skeppy flicked his dark brown eyes at the pillagers and George nodded in understanding.

  
"Have to wait until there's a moment they aren't watching as much," Ranboo added quietly, "By the way, Skeppy, you'll stick to the other three right?"

  
George looked at him in confusion but Skeppy seemed to immediately understand what Ranboo was saying as his eyes went to the three other random prisoners, "Yeah. I'll do my best to make sure they don't die if you got George?"

  
"I got him," Ranboo smiled and George rose an eyebrow. Something about Ranboo made George feel safe, kind of like Dream, "You don't mind sticking with me, do you George?"

  
"I don't mind," George said immediately and they both snickered at him. George blushed.

  
"Just don't die, okay? Dream will have our heads," Skeppy sighed and Ranboo chuckled. George rolled his eyes.

  
George didn't realize everyone else were slowing to a stop and he almost ran into Skeppy. When he glanced around, his eyes widened at all the Endermen roaming around, some of them carrying blocks. The pillagers turned to the prisoners, "Alright. You know the drill. Get going and no funny business or else."

  
George felt frustrated. They _knew_ he was new and that he didn't exactly know the 'drill' but they were just going to throw him in the fire anyways. Skeppy gave Ranboo a look and Ranboo nodded. Skeppy turned to three of the random prisoners, "Follow me."

  
They did so without questions and one of them shook as he walked, poor guy. George turned to Ranboo, who gestured that he follow him. George nodded and briefly glanced at the pillagers moving around, watching each prisoner intently. He was briefly confused by a couple of blinking red devices he saw two of them holding.

  
"That's a red stone alarm," Ranboo explained and George jumped. When he turned he saw Ranboo looking at the same pillagers, "It's rigged back to the fortress so if any of us rebel here it'll alert the pillagers there so they can punish some of the others back at the fortress."

  
"Oh..." George trailed off, anger blooming in his chest.

  
"Follow me. Let's stick close to Skeppy just in case he needs help," Ranboo said seriously and George nodded again. Now that he met Skeppy, he was going to make sure he lived to reunite with Bad.

  
George followed Ranboo and silently marveled at the way his head didn't even reach Ranboo's shoulder blades. The dude was freakishly tall, it was almost unnerving. How did this guy even get captured in the first place? 

  
He jumped at a static-like screech that filled the air. When he looked over, he paled to see two of the random prisoners blocking an attack from an Endermen. It's jaw was abnormally detached, showcasing very sharp teeth. It continued to screech horribly.

  
Skeppy ran forward to help them and wacked it a couple of times from behind. To George's amazement, it teleported and left behind purple particles only to reappear at Skeppy's other side. Skeppy seemed prepared because he had his shield covering him.

  
"George," Ranboo called and George jumped again, turning to look at the taller man. He had a serious look on his face, "You know about Endermen, right? They only attack you when you look at them and they can teleport. You'll be fine if you only look at one at a time and keep your shield up at all times, okay?"

  
"R-Right," George stammered and immediately pulled his shield closer. He realized one of the pillagers were glaring at him. Probably because he wasn't fighting yet. His heart sped up in fear. Could he do this? Ranboo said he'd help him out so that means he should just go for it, right?

  
He looked around, seeing Skeppy and another random prisoner fighting another Endermen out of the corner of his eye. George gulped and noticed a new Endermen walking around, carrying a nether rack block. Well....it's now or never. 

  
George hesitantly glanced at the Endermen's face and he gasped when the Endermen's head whipped around to lock onto him. It's purple eyes glowed and it's jaw detached in a screech as it ran right for him. George felt himself gasping, curling his hand around his diamond sword and practically smothering himself in his shield.

  
He cried out when the Endermen thrust it's long arms out against his shield with an audible thunk and he swung his diamond sword in a long arch. It hit, surprisingly, but the Endermen only screeched louder and teleported. George could hear himself gasping in breaths. 

  
In his peripheral, he saw Ranboo shift closer to him. The Endermen teleported to George's right side and he cried out in surprise. George's eyes widened when Ranboo ran his sword through the Endermen, killing it off. They both stopped at the round object that seemed to drop from thin air. Was that what an ender pearl looked like? It was almost bluish to George.

  
Ranboo pushed George back when a pillager immediately came closer to them and grabbed it before they could. Rude, what would they even be able to do with it? The pillager gave them a sharp look but backed off with the pearl.

  
"Good job, George," Ranboo smiled and George huffed, still feeling his heart racing.

  
"Thanks but I think it would have taken me a _year_ to kill it if you hadn't," George replied seriously but Ranboo laughed like he'd told a joke. 

  
Then, out of nowhere, an Endermen teleported right behind Ranboo. George froze and sucked in a breath, bringing his shield back up. Ranboo didn't seem too startled, but looked behind him instinctively. That's when George realized, Ranboo just looked at the Endermen right? Then why isn't it attacking or screeching?

  
George rose an eyebrow as he looked from the Endermen to Ranboo. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye and noticed with shock that at least five of the fifteen pillagers were now staring intently at Ranboo as if they were watching to see what he'd do.

  
Ranboo grabbed his sword and swung in a single, simple arch. The Endermen screeched once it was attacked and Ranboo got another hit in before it teleported. George's eyes widened and he looked around from behind his shield. He jumped when it teleported right behind Ranboo again, but by George's side.

  
George swung his sword before thinking and the Endermen cried out before dying. This one didn't leave an ender pearl, thank God. George met Ranboo's stare and he looked at him in confusion. Why did the Endermen only attack Ranboo when he _physically_ attacked it?

  
Ranboo simply smiled but it didn't reach his eyes as if he was trying to tell George something. He glanced at the pillagers before turning to look at Skeppy. That's when George realized that the pillagers were keeping a sharp eye on Ranboo in particular. Did they notice what George noticed?

  
George followed Ranboo as they walked closer to Skeppy. Poor Skeppy was trying his best to keep the Endermen from straight attacking the three random prisoners, who obviously had no idea how to fight. They mainly kept themselves behind their shields.

  
When Skeppy accidentally looked at another Endermen, Ranboo immediately jumped in to help him out. George followed and helped Ranboo kill it off while Skeppy finished the one he was fighting. One dropped a pearl, that was two overall so far, and the pillagers wasted no time grabbing it.

  
Since there were no more Endermen in the immediate area, they were forced to go down further away from the fortress to look for more. George saw his opportunity to ask questions when the pillagers weren't close enough to hear them, "Ranboo..."

  
Ranboo smiled at him like he already knew what he'd ask. He whispered, "The Endermen don't attack me when I look at them. They only attack me when I attack them. Like self-defense."

  
"I noticed," George whispered back, looking around to make sure no pillagers were looking at them, "I think the pillagers did too."

  
"They're smart but I don't know if they _know_ for sure," Ranboo murmured quietly, "That's why I don't want them to know. I'm trying to make sure they don't notice that the Endermen don't attack me."

  
"I understand...." George nodded, marveled by how mysterious Ranboo was as a person....if he _was_ a person that is, "Thank you, by the way, for helping me."

  
"Anytime...you've been helping me too," Ranboo grinned, "You're pretty brave George, just like the others that have been here awhile."

  
"Thanks but not really," George smiled back before he remembered a question he had, "How did you get captured, if you don't mind me asking?"

  
Ranboo stared straight ahead, "I was traveling in the nether....I was hoping it'd jog some lost memories for me or something. I ran into the pillagers as they were scouting around and they captured me."

  
"So....you don't have any powers...?" George trailed off, hoping the taller man didn't get offended, "Like, no offense but...you're just so...not human?"

  
Ranboo laughed quietly, "I know, I know, but....I'm _mostly_ normal, I think. It's a long story. Even _I_ don't really understand myself."

  
George's heart ached in his chest at the way his voice tapered off into an almost sad one. It seemed Ranboo was more normal than he thought and he was almost pure in a way. George forced a smile on his face, "Hey, being mysterious is _cool_ , right? And who knows, maybe you'll find out you have some awesome powers! Nothing wrong with that at all."

  
Ranboo looked at him in surprise before he smiled warmly, "Thanks George...you and the others that have been here awhile, you've never treated me like a freak."

  
"You're _not_ one," George frowned, "I'll admit I'm still intimidated by you a little, but being different isn't _bad_."

  
"No, it's not," Ranboo agreed, his smile widening. 

  
George didn't know Skeppy had heard the whole thing until he turned to make sure no pillagers were snooping around them. Skeppy was close to their side and he was staring at George brightly, like he was his new best friend. George blinked at him before laughing. Skeppy laughed too, "You're so _cool_ George! I see why Dream didn't want to be separated from you."

  
"H-Huh?" George blushed and Skeppy paused before snickering at him.

  
He opened his mouth to say something else but he was cut off abruptly when several pillagers came closer. George frowned but didn't say anything. They eventually stopped again when they spotted a few more Endermen. George really wanted to punch the pillager when he ordered them again, "Go. Get a move on."

  
"Stupid freaking..." Skeppy trailed off as they walked away. He sighed and turned to the three other prisoners who were already shifting closer to him, "Follow me. Let's do it like last time."

  
"Same with us," Ranboo told George and he nodded, "Only let's keep closer to Skeppy this time."

  
"Right," George smiled, glancing over at him.

* * *

It was easier the second time around, since George knew more of what to expect. As long as he kept his shield up and the Endermen didn't break it, he was good. And now that he knew Ranboo couldn't trigger an Endermen the way normal people could, he made a point of looking at them when Ranboo did, hoping to keep suspicion off him. 

  
It still freaked him out to directly look at one and he noticed Ranboo was looking at him in surprise but George felt worried at what would happen if the pillagers knew about Ranboo's abilities. 

  
By the time they were done, they'd killed five more Endermen but none of them dropped any pearls. Thankfully, the pillagers ordered them to begin the walk back to the fortress as it was obvious they were all dead on their feet and couldn't fight anymore without just dying straight away.

  
On the walk back, Skeppy and Ranboo kept close to George. He realized they wanted to tell them something but had to wait when eyes weren't on them as much. George glanced at Skeppy as they neared the fortress, "Skeppy, can you, um, tell Dream something for me?"

  
"Oh, for sure," Skeppy nodded, smiling easily, "What is it?"

  
"Can you tell him that Sapnap and I are okay? And tell him we'll definitely be ready for anything he has planned," George grinned. George just knew that Dream was probably already thinking of several ways to escape the fortress.

  
Skeppy's eyes widened before he laughed, "I'll tell him. And Ranboo, can you tell Bad that I'm okay and that I love him...?"

  
"Of course, Skeppy," Ranboo said immediately, like he was going to do that _regardless_ if he were asked and George decided that he really liked Ranboo then.

  
Skeppy turned back to George seriously and, after checking to make sure no pillagers were eyeing them, he whispered, "We _are_ already planning an escape...it'll probably take time though."

  
"Yeah, I thought it would," George whispered back with a nod.

  
"There's this other new prisoner named Wilbur..." Skeppy added as he glanced around at the pillagers, "He's Technoblade's brother."

  
" _What?_ " George gasped, immediately clamping a hand over his mouth, "I've met Techno before...how did Wilbur even get captured?"

  
"He was sent by Techno to investigate people being trapped in the nether," Skeppy explained and George's eyes widened. He remembered Techno saying he was going to send someone he trusted to look into things. That was Wilbur? "I just wanted to let you know that Wilbur believes Techno will bring a group to the nether to find him, he just doesn't know _when_."

  
"Oh God..." George trailed off, staring at the ground. Skeppy nodded and Ranboo just smirked, "That'd help a lot. If they come we can definitely escape on that same day...if only we knew when they were coming."

  
"Yeah...and I'll help out the best I can too," Ranboo spoke up and George glanced at him, "Don't ask me how but I know a way to break the locks on the cells."

  
Skeppy looked absolutely stunned and George realized this must be the first time Ranboo admitted this. Skeppy bit his lip, "Why haven't you told us that before?"

  
"Because I can't do it fast or anything and we could easily get caught," Ranboo whispered, looking down warily, "I just don't want anyone to die here because of me. So I never mentioned it until now. I'd be able to use it at the right time."

  
"Fine, it's okay, I'm not mad or anything," Skeppy sighed, "I'm just surprised is all. I'll tell the others."

  
"Me too," George smiled reassuringly at Ranboo.

  
"Get inside and relinquish your weapons immediately," A pillager suddenly ordered and George glanced up in surprise. He didn't realize they were already at the fortress walls.

  
George quietly followed inside after the others and discarded his sword and shield onto the cart that was still there. One of the pillagers immediately pushed it away and soon other pillagers were forcing them down the halls. George glanced at Skeppy and Ranboo, "See you sometime soon hopefully."

  
"Bye George..." Ranboo frowned, "Stay safe..."

  
"See you guys another time," Skeppy said thickly and George was surprised to see he looked emotional. Then he felt like he could relate.

* * *

When Skeppy stepped down the hall towards their cell looking like he was one word away from crying, Dream felt like his heart fell down into his toes. Fundy shot up immediately as Skeppy quietly stepped into the cell and the pillagers escorting him left without another word. Wilbur spoke up first, "Are you okay Skeppy? Did something happen out there?"

"Oh, no, I'm just a bit frustrated," Skeppy sighed, wiping his face with his hands, "I got a lot to tell you guys. I saw Ranboo and George out there."

"You saw George?!" Dream gasped, his eyes widening and his heart skipping a few beats, "Is he okay?! Did he get hurt out there at all?!"

Skeppy stared at him with a look he didn't recognize but then he smiled, "He's okay. He handled himself pretty well for someone who says they don't know what they're doing."

Dream felt so relieved to hear that George wasn't hurt that his legs almost gave out on him. He heaved a heavy sigh of relief and Skeppy added, "Plus Ranboo protected him."

"Wow, you guys got lucky having Ranboo there today," Fundy grinned as he looked relieved himself, "So...anything happen? You said you had something to tell us."

"Wait...who is Ranboo?" Dream questioned, feeling insanely curious. The way Fundy spoke earlier, it was as if having Ranboo in your group was the best thing that could happen. Why was that?

"Ranboo's just another prisoner but...there's something _different_ about him," Skeppy explained and he looked down the hall like he was checking for pillagers, "He doesn't look human."

Dream's eyebrows shot up, "He doesn't look human...? _How_?"

"He's got half black and half white skin, same with his hair. His eyes are two different colors as well," Fundy said slowly, watching Dream, "He acts pretty human though and says he doesn't have many memories."

"He's mysterious..." Wilbur added, "Though I don't know as much as these two. I have met him only two times."

"He sounds _interesting_ ," Dream said honestly. Now he was even more curious. He wanted to meet Ranboo for himself. Skeppy looked at Dream and laughed.

"You and George are kind of similar it seems," Skeppy commented with a bright look, "Most people don't react to seeing or hearing about Ranboo the way you guys do. Ranboo seems to really like George."

Dream tried not to feel jealous, he _really_ did, but he couldn't stop himself from saying, "Apparently _everyone_ likes George when they meet him."

Wilbur and Fundy stared at him while Skeppy threw his head back and laughed, "The way you said that! _Haha_!"

"Is George your lover?" Wilbur asked curiously and Dream's mouth fell open as he felt himself turn red.

"No! He's not....." Dream trailed off when the three of them looked at him like they didn't believe him, "I mean I...I would _like_ it to be that way but it's not like that..."

"Oh..." Fundy sighed, "Well there goes my chance with you."

" _What?!_ " Dream cried out in shock and Wilbur choked on a laugh. Skeppy barked out laughter like he laughing was painful for him. Fundy began laughing as well.

"Just kidding," Fundy grinned.

"S-Speaking of George, I have a message for you from him," Skeppy added and Dream perked up, ignoring how Wilbur chuckled at that, "He wanted me to tell you that he and Sapnap are doing okay and that they're ready for whatever you plan to do."

"I see...." Dream smiled at the ground, his chest filling with warmth. George was safe and he was doing okay. He said Sapnap was okay and they already sounded confident that Dream is planning something. Dream chuckled.

"Aww no 'I love you'?" Fundy joked but Dream's eyes widened, a prick of sudden disappointment and hurt flooding him.

"He doesn't feel that way about me," Dream said flatly before he thought about it. Fundy and Skeppy's chuckles died off immediately and Wilbur's eyes widened. Dream's shoulders slumped and he felt a bit embarrassed.

"Really?" Skeppy spoke up, sounding awkward, "The way he talks about you though and the way he reacted when I told him about you...I thought for sure he felt something for you."

Dream rose an eyebrow, "It's complicated for George, I'm sure. He grew up without friends and was shunned in his village. I doubt he'd know what it's like to be in love."

"Oh...that sucks," Wilbur frowned, crossing his arms. Fundy shifted his eyes away awkwardly and Skeppy coughed into his fist.

"Well I can't speak for him. He just blushed a lot when we talked about you," Skeppy shrugged and Dream stared at the ground quietly. The things that Skeppy was saying are things George did a lot anyways, "Well, once we're out of this hell hole I say go for it!"

"Yeah we'll be your wingmen," Wilbur smiled a little and Dream laughed, shaking his head.

"Don't need you guys to do that. George doesn't have to return my feelings," Dream said, feeling sad even as he said them, "The only thing you guys can do for me is protect him if you're grouped up with him."

"For sure," Skeppy grinned, nodding his head.

"Yup, we'll help protect your lover," Fundy smirked and Dream groaned.

"It's not _like_ that! You guys better not say that around him," Dream warned, narrowing his eyes. Fundy and Skeppy shrugged. Wilbur laughed.

"Anyways, changing the subject here," Skeppy said and laughed once Dream muttered 'thank God' under his breath, "Ranboo told me and George something interesting just before I came back down here."

"What's that?" Fundy asked curiously, tilting his head.

"He said he knew a way to break the locks to the cells," Skeppy explained as a conflicted look entered his eyes. Dream looked surprised, "He didn't tell us _how_ only that it'd take a minute and he never told us about it before because he was scared."

"Scared?" Wilbur asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Ranboo can do things most humans can't and he seems connected to Endermen in a way," Skeppy commented quietly, his eyes flicking down the hall, "He doesn't want the pillagers to find out what he can do and use it. He's scared that will happen and he's also scared that if he gets caught someone will die because of him."

They went quiet and Dream frowned, extremely curious what it was that Ranboo could do. He'd seen some pretty outlandish things in the world as he traveled but the things he's hearing about Ranboo are unlike anything he's ever encountered before. 

"That'll come in handy when we plan our escape," Wilbur spoke up, leaning against the wall as he stared up at the ceiling, "I wish I had a way of telling when my family will be coming for me."

"Are you _sure_ they'll be coming?" Fundy questioned hesitantly, like he didn't want to offend Wilbur. Wilbur looked over at Fundy and smiled.

"I'm positive. Nothing will stop them until they find me," Wilbur explained softly, "It's just a matter of when and how. All we have to do is plan things on our end and hold out until they get here."

"We can hold out," Dream muttered as his hands curled into fists, "These pillagers don't get to take anyone else away from me."

" _Stop_ you're gonna make me cry Dream," Skeppy said thickly and Wilbur chuckled. 

"Man, you and Sapnap make a pair," Fundy grinned out and Dream's eyes widened as he looked up to stare at Fundy, "Not making fun, but you and Sapnap are both not afraid to be all affectionate with actions or words. You're sentimental."

"Sapnap's still like that?" Dream smiled, his heart thudding peacefully in his chest when Fundy nodded. One worry he's been harboring is that his best friend will have changed a lot over the years, "Bad's like that too."

Skeppy's eyes widened and he froze, looking over at Dream, who added, "He's like our mom friend. He gets mad when we curse."

Wilbur and Fundy laughed loudly and Skeppy smiled warmly at the floor. Dream snickered, feeling a lot better than he did earlier. After their laughter died down, Fundy sighed softly, "I can't wait to have more moments like this...but with _everyone_."

Dream felt an ache in his chest at that but smiled teasingly, "Now who's sentimental?"

"Oh shut up," Fundy blushed and he glanced at Wilbur, "When we escape...d-do you think Technoblade will let us live in his village?"

Wilbur's eyes widened as he went silent. Fundy, Dream, and Skeppy all stared at him, waiting for an answer. Wilbur looked thoughtful for a moment before he shrugged, "I don't see why not, personally, but it's....there's this process we use for newcomers. Though this is kind of a unique situation so I'm sure you'll be accepted regardless."

"A process?" Dream asked, tilting his head.

"Newcomers that want to live in the village have to undergo an interview, just some questions for precaution, you know? You also get a two-week trail of living there so you can change your mind. Or...if we change our mind about you," Wilbur explained as he looked serious, "We do this to weed out those that could be dangerous. I don't see us having a problem accepting any of you."

"That's a relief," Fundy smiled hesitantly, "Most of us...we have no where to go even if we escaped."

"I see...you should definitely come then," Wilbur grinned, "Besides I like all of you."

They blinked at how easy he said that and Dream snickered, "I'm curious though, has it always been like that?"

"Well...no...not exactly. Our father Philza is the one that recommended interviewing people and making them have a trial-period of living there. He said it was smarter that way," Wilbur explained and he grinned, "Phil is very smart."

"He sounds like it," Skeppy said as Fundy and Dream nodded in agreement, "How did you guys end up at that village?"

Wilbur's eyes grew a little wide and his shoulders tensed before he relaxed and smiled teasingly, "What? You want to know my backstory now?"

"Sure, why not?" Dream teased right back, smirking. Wilbur chuckled, "If we're going to end up living in the same village, why not get to know each other better?"

"Fine, fine," Wilbur relented, shaking his head in amusement, "Techno, Tommy, and myself....we're all from an orphanage that resided near a snowy taiga biome. We were quite close to each other even then and our life there wasn't terrible."

"But...?" Fundy questioned warily, sensing the bad part coming.

"One day a couple of villages banded together and donated emeralds to our orphanage so we could have enough supplies to last the winter. Somehow...a group of bandits learned about the donation," Wilbur frowned, crossing his arms tightly, "They came at night and raided the orphanage, killing anyone they could find so their identities couldn't be reported."

"Techno managed to smuggle me and Tommy out. Techno was 13 and I was 11...Tommy was only 7. I can still remember when one of the bandits discovered us trying to escape that was the _first_ time Techno ever killed a person. It didn't even seem to bother him," Wilbur said tightly and Dream's eyes widened, "It was scary....how easy he killed that man. How good he was at fighting even as a kid."

"Yikes," Skeppy shivered and Fundy's eyes grew large.

"Yeah, anyways, we wandered the wilderness and managed to survive off any berries we could find," Wilbur continued, licking his lips, "And then we met Philza. He was a traveler then and he saved us when we were surrounded by polar bears. I'll never forget it. He offered us to stay with him in the prosperous village he resided in when he wasn't traveling. We agreed and moved to where the village is now before it was built up to what it is today."

"Wow, so Phil is originally from the village that Techno runs now?" Fundy asked, his eyes still wide. 

"Yeah he was. He lost his wife to illness so he became a traveler. When he learned of our circumstances he offered to adopt us without a second thought. He said him and his wife had always wanted children but she became ill before they could try," Wilbur explained, looking sadly at the ground, "Phil is such a great guy. I'm really glad to have met him."

"He sounds really cool," Dream grinned, "You're pretty lucky." 

Wilbur smiled back, "Yeah I am...and when Phil meets _you all_ I'm sure he'll fight to make sure you definitely get to stay in the village after this is all over."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't realize how long this chapter was until it was over....😂 Anyways I loved coming up with my own little story of how Philza adopted his three boys! Hope you did too. 😌💞
> 
> As always, if you are confused about anything then let me know in the comments and I'll be sure to reply! Thanks for reading!!!! 💖💖💖


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaos ensues; in which things go from 100 to 0 real quick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I hope you're all doing well! I can't believe that this story went from 90 bookmarks to 105, thank you so much!! 💕💕
> 
> WARNING: Mentions of mild torture and cruelty. There's also descriptions of panic attacks (don't want to trigger anyone).

George was led down the left staircase after Skeppy said his goodbyes and he couldn't help but laugh when he saw his new friends all standing, almost pressed against the bars of their cells, so they could see down the hall. George smiled to himself at the excitement in Sapnap's eyes when he saw George there.

  
He noticed one of the pillagers move in the corner of his eye and glanced over at him a little, surprised when he met the pillager's stare. There was a look of knowledge there that he didn't understand and he was turning to flick his eyes at Sapnap. George rose an eyebrow but didn't say anything. What was that about?

  
George shook his head and smiled again when he was brought in front of his cell and he was practically pulled in the cell by Sapnap once the pillagers opened the door. George gasped when Sapnap pulled him in a hug so tight it hurt. He glanced over Sapnap's shoulder, however, to see the pillagers staring at them before they left, not uttering a single word. Why were they staring at them?

  
"George! Thank _GOD_ you're okay!" Sapnap said loudly, squeezing once and laughing when George grunted. He eased up on the hug but didn't let go, "You look like there's no scratch on you!"

  
"That's because there's not," George giggled when Karl and Quackity looked at him like they refused to believe it were true. Sapnap finally let him go but didn't move away from him. His amber eyes roamed over George, checking for injuries. George grinned.

  
"I was there with Skeppy and Ranboo. They gave some helpful advice," George explained and Karl gasped. Sapnap's eyes widened and Quackity laughed.

  
"Lucky!" Quackity grinned out happily, "I think the last time I got to group with Ranboo was like a month ago!"

  
"Well, thank God you got Ranboo," Sapnap sighed, looking extremely relieved, "And Skeppy's not bad either."

  
"Yeah and by the way, I got things to tell you guys," George smiled eagerly and they blinked at him, "First, you know about Ranboo, right?"

  
"You mean that he's basically half-Endermen?" Karl joked, smirking, "Oh yeah. Pretty much everyone here knows something's up with Ranboo besides his looks."

  
"Right," George nodded and he sat on the ground carefully, snickering when Sapnap immediately sat cross-legged beside him. Sapnap noticed his snickering and stuck his tongue out at him immaturely. George laughed, "So I should probably start by saying that Skeppy told us that he, Dream, and the others are definitely planning for an escape soon."

  
"Wait, what?" Quackity gasped as Karl froze, looking over at George with a stunned expression. George frowned a little. Was it really _that_ surprising that they were planning an escape? Karl's eyes glossed over in thought and that's when George realized Karl wasn't staring at _him_ but at Sapnap.

  
George glanced at Sapnap and froze himself when he saw how pale the usually tan male was. His eyes were wide and almost unseeing as he stared at the floor with fear, "S-Sap...?"

  
He nudged Sapnap with his shoulder, scooting just a bit closer to Sapnap to hopefully soothe him. For some reason, Sapnap looked absolutely fearful of what George just said. George's heart rate picked up. Was he wrong before? Was Sapnap actually _not_ prepared for a possible escape? Why?

  
"G-George..." Sapnap choked out, finally raising his head and glancing over at him, "Why are they....they don't know....they can't..."

  
"Why can't they? Sapnap, what's wrong?" George urged his question, grabbing Sapnap's hand with both of his. He winced when Sapnap immediately squeezed his hand like he was grounding himself. He glanced to see Quackity looking lost and Karl was still staring at Sapnap, frowning sympathetically.

  
"If they try....and they _fail_ then people will be punished," Sapnap swallowed heavily, his other hand shaking in his lap. George's face dropped as he realized what Sapnap was afraid of.

  
"No, no, no," George shook his head, squeezing Sapnap's hand with both of his again as he rushed to explain, "There's a prisoner here called Wilbur and his family are pretty much experienced fighters, I think. They'll be coming for him so I think Dream and Skeppy want to plan for an escape around the time they'll come."

  
"Wait really?" Quackity gasped out, his eyes growing wide with strangled hope. Sapnap and Karl, however, didn't look as hopeful or convinced as he did.

  
"But they don't know _when_ they'll come do they?" Sapnap stressed, fear still oozing from him, "All it takes is getting caught and they'll....."

  
He cut himself off and stared at the ground, his eyes still wide with distress. George frowned, unsure what to do or say to calm Sapnap down. It seemed to be helping that he was holding his hand but George felt useless. Why would Sapnap be so scared of mentioning escape...?

  
George's eyes widened as a revelation fell upon him, "S-Sapnap....have you tried to escape before?"

  
Sapnap shoulders hunched forward like he was shielding himself as his breath hitched and he frowned at the ground, his eyes still wide. He nodded his head and took a deep steadying breath, "I tried escaping twice since being captured..."

  
"What.....what happened both times...?" George trailed off, realizing that Quackity's eyes were wide like he didn't know that information but Karl's frowned deepened like he did know.

  
Sapnap sighed shakily, "It's a very long story so bare with me here. The first time was during my first year here. Some people from my village were still here and there were others....we got word around and planned to try to take a lot of them down when they gave us weapons when we 'go out'."

  
"Oh..." George froze, his eyes widening as he pictured it in his mind. Sapnap paused for a moment before looking over at George hesitantly.

  
"Then one day we felt confident enough to try our plan and I was part of the group chosen that day. Once we grabbed some swords and shields we tried to attack them. It seemed to be working at first but as we tried to free the others, more came down and...." Sapnap paused again, wincing at the memory, "They beat us, took away our weapons, and then they forced us to take off our chest plates so that they could whip us."

  
"Oh my God...." George breathed, removing one of his hands from Sapnap's to hold his mouth in shock. He heard Quackity suck in a sharp breath. 

  
Sapnap nodded slowly before his shoulders slumped even further, "But that was _nothing_ compared to what happened the second time I tried escaping."

  
"Y-You don't have to talk a-about it," George said, feeling guilty that he was bringing up such terrible memories. Sapnap shook his head, turned to face George fully, and squeezed his hand.

  
"I want you to know...t-to understand why I'm so freaked out. Why I'm not sure about planning an escape...." Sapnap swallowed heavily and George nodded hesitantly, squeezing Sapnap's hand back, "The second time I tried escaping was only four months after the first....there were more people then and I thought that gave us a leg up. I thought just because the pillagers had numbers didn't mean they couldn't be taken off guard by us."

  
Sapnap glanced from George down to the ground, sighing, "I had a lot of pent of rage back then, still do really, but I wanted to get back at the pillagers for everything they'd done. Back then they hadn't decked out this place so much and when they built the cells it was first made from stone, not iron. The locks weren't perfect then so one night I picked it."

  
"T-This was four years ago?" George had to confirm and Sapnap nodded his head.

  
"About four years ago, yeah. Karl or any of the others that have been here awhile weren't here yet by that time so it was just me," Sapnap admitted, a look flashing across his eyes. George glanced at Karl, who was staring sadly at the ground. If Karl wasn't there when it happened that must mean that Sapnap already told him this story before.

  
"What did you do once you picked the lock?" Quackity questioned quietly, staring at Sapnap intently, obviously invested in the story.

  
Sapnap looked over at him, "I picked the lock on everyone else's cell in the hall and I led them back up to the platform. I didn't pick the lock on the cells in the other two halls because I figured it'd take too much time and I figured it'd be easier for just us to sneak around."

  
"It _was_ easier to sneak around and I eventually led the others to the stairs behind the platform. I knew that led to several other hallways and rooms that the pillagers kept to themselves in," Sapnap explained slowly, "They weren't patrolling as often back then...."

  
"And then...?" George prompted, earning Sapnap's attention. Sapnap frowned, his eyes lighting up with rage.

  
"I eventually found the room where they kept their valuables. I was stunned that no one was guarding it and I had been prepared to fight. I grabbed all the ender pearls they'd managed to get at that point and took it back with us," Sapnap growled out and George's eyes widened, remembering when he asked Karl why the pillagers didn't already have enough pearls for an end portal. No way....

  
"Did you destroy them?" George asked immediately and Sapnap nodded.

  
"We snuck back up to the platform and I threw the ender pearls over the edge into the lava. You have _no_ idea how satisfying that was," Sapnap smiled wistfully and a shiver washed over George's body, "But soon after I did that, a few pillagers came around the corner and spotted us."

  
"Oh God..." Quackity choked, putting his hand over his mouth and George's heart skipped a beat as he realized the terrible part of the story was here.

  
Sapnap's eyes glazed over, "They immediately started yelling and I started yelling at the other prisoners to grab _anything_ they could find to defend themselves and fight back. It didn't end well."

  
"We handled our own pretty okay until another group came from behind the platform, enraged because they found out that the pearls were missing," Sapnap shuddered, "They realized what happened and that's when they began to push down on us harder. I'll never forget it. They fought like hell on earth and demanded to know who destroyed all their progress."

  
Sapnap actually had tears forming in his eyes at that point and George's entire chest ached like he wasn't breathing. He felt so bad for him, "The rest of the prisoners, most of whom I knew from childhood from my own village, turned on me in an instant, thinking they wouldn't be punished if they did."

  
"S-Sap...." Quackity gasped out, looking ready to cry on his behalf and George knew he didn't look any better but he could physically get words out of his mouth if he tried.

  
"I was so shocked and maybe I shouldn't have been. I'm not the smartest out there and the plan was reckless from the start so I understand now why they'd try to shift everything on me then," Sapnap shrugged but his eyes betrayed how he was really feeling, "The pillagers grabbed me and took me down the back of the platform. We walked down the hallway on the right until we went down this insanely long staircase. It led so far down."

  
"Really?" George swallowed, "Why so far down...?"

  
"Because there's a room there. It hovers above the lava lake but not enough to be, like, _lethal_ or anything just enough to immediately make you sweat," Sapnap winced and George inhaled sharply, "I named it the sweatbox, which is what they call it now, and they threw me in the room before latching the door closed behind me. They told me I was going to stay there for two days as my punishment."

  
"Oh god....you could have died from dehydration," George's breath hitched in horror and Sapnap nodded.

  
"It was....terrible. It was so fucking hot and it felt like it was zapping all of my energy but the worst....the worst was when I heard people screaming. I realized that the pillagers were killing the prisoners that had been with me," Sapnap said lowly, squeezing George's hand, "When they let me out two days later and took me back to the left hall of cells, there was no one there. It was only me left."

  
"Sapnap...that's awful...." George said, his heart falling to his feet, "No wonder you looked so panicked before...."

  
"They've had it out for me since. They've never lost their hostility towards me for fucking up their plans," Sapnap said in a dark tone, his eyes piercing, "So...i-if Dream wants to escape...h-he better be _damn_ sure we can do this or I-I don't know....I don't think I can handle something like that again."

  
It went quiet and George briefly glanced over to see Karl rubbing Quackity's back and whispering comforting words to him. George's flicked his eyes back to Sapnap, who was peeking at him with an anxious look on his face. George couldn't understand why someone like Sapnap, or anyone really, had to go through something like that. Ever.

  
"Sapnap," George growled, startling his new friend. He leaned forward and used both his hands to squeeze Sapnap's comfortingly, "I promise you, I don't care what I have to do, I won't let you have to go through something like that again."

  
Sapnap's eyes grew wide as he stared at him in a mix of shock and wonder before he smiled weakly, "You can't promise that George."

  
George simply smiled, "Maybe not....but I still do though. You won't have to go back in that room. And Dream can be reckless but I'm sure that Skeppy and the other's aren't and won't let him be...so don't worry okay?"

  
"I'll try..." Sapnap sighed, his head slumping as he stared at their hands. 

  
"I promise Sapnap, really," George said in his best genuine tone and Sapnap looked back up to meet his eyes. George grinned, "We're definitely getting you and the others out of here. It just might take a little time. You believe me right?"

  
Karl and Quackity let out quiet little laughs and Sapnap's mouth finally quirked into a smile that looked real, "Yeah, I believe you George...."

  
"Great! But right now, I'm exhausted!" George sighed as he gently pulled away from Sapnap and moved to lay flat on the ground.

  
"Well it _is_ late," Sapnap grinned as he laid down beside George, "We should probably get some sleep."

  
"I second that," Karl said playfully and George was happy to have diffused the tension a little, "Goodnight guys..."

  
"Goodnight..."

* * *

When George awoke the next morning, he felt a familiar sense of deja vu. He couldn't explain the tenseness he felt, like something terrible had already happened when in fact it hadn't. At least, George hoped not. It left him with a sense of anxiety that was even worse than yesterday when he was chosen to go out and fight.

  
He desperately hid this from the others, especially Sapnap, because the poor guy seemed to _finally_ be coming around his own anxiety from the previous night when George told him there was an escape plan in the works. He didn't want to bring his anxiety back up when George wouldn't even know how to explain why he was feeling the way he was feeling. No need to work up anyone else for no reason.

  
But George found it left him with little to no appetite, but he ate a little bit of the breakfast rice that was given that morning so that Sapnap wouldn't notice. Instead, he smiled when Karl told an embarrassing story about how he'd gotten lost in the woods once as a child and then forced laughter when Quackity told them of a time he humiliated himself in front of a girl from his village.

  
Apparently though, Sapnap's ability to simply understand George at odd times was more powerful than he realized because after they finished eating, Sapnap scooted closer to him and gave him a look, "So, what's bothering you?"

  
George's eyes widened, "Huh?"

  
"You haven't eaten much and your smile is all weird or something," Sapnap frowned, staring George right in the eyes like he was searching for any lie-telling, "What's up?"

  
"I..." George wilted; there was no way he could lie reasonably here, "I just feel a bit anxious and I don't....I don't really know where it's coming from."

  
Sapnap leaned back and rose an eyebrow. Quackity, however, snorted in amusement, "Hey, don't worry George! We all get that sometimes. At least you know you don't have to go out today!"

  
"I've had a feeling like this before....almost," George added, his eyes narrowing at Quackity, who quickly went silent.

  
"When?" Karl asked, tilting his head. His voice took on a strained note that didn't suit the cheerful boy and his eyes were too serious.

  
"The day I met Dream..." George paused, surprised by the wave of emotion that overcame him at remembering the day he met Dream. He swallowed heavily, "I woke up that morning feeling a type of anxiousness....like I knew things were gonna change somehow."

  
"Maybe you're thinking too much about things," Karl frowned, rubbing his arm, "Sounds like you're getting overwhelmed or something..."

  
"Yeah, don't work yourself up, okay?" Quackity said in a soothing tone, looking wary. George didn't respond and looked over at Sapnap. He was surprised to meet his amber eyes. Sapnap was staring at him seriously, his eyes glazed over in thought.

  
"Sapnap?" George asked quietly, his fingers twitching to reach out and grab his shoulder or something. He was worried that he'd done exactly what he didn't want to do and worried Sapnap.

  
Sapnap's eyes cleared as he blinked. He then smiled tensely, "Don't worry, George. I'm sure Karl's right! We should talk about other things to take your mind off it!"

  
"Yeah!" Karl chirped but it sounded slightly forced. George saw Quackity give Karl a worried look.

  
George smiled hesitantly, "Okay, sure. We should talk about something nice..."

  
"Yeah, like what we wanna do when we get outta here," Sapnap grinned, his eyes lighting up, "I am going to pig out on so much food it won't be funny."

  
"Right," George laughed out, hearing Karl laugh along with him. Quackity gasped.

  
"Oh heck yes! You have the right idea!" Quackity cheered and Sapnap chuckled, his grin widening a little. 

  
"Alright then, what kind of food are you looking forward to the most?" George questioned, nudging Sapnap with his arm. 

  
"Easy! I want to eat a whole pizza by myself!" Sapnap replied and George let out a loud laugh as Karl whooped, "I wanna make it myself so I can put all my favorite toppings on it!"

  
"You'd need quite a lot of ingredients to make it," George teased and Sapnap grinned.

  
"We'll find all the ingredients no sweat. You'll make a pizza with me when we get out, right Gogy?" Sapnap asked with a teasing smile of his own. 

  
George's eyes widened and he choked out a laugh, " _Gogy?!_ "

  
"It's so perfect oh my God!" Karl gasped out, still laughing. 

  
"Why didn't I think of that?!" Quackity boomed excitedly, "It's like short for Georgie!"

  
George froze in the middle of laughing, his heart jumping in his chest at the familiar nickname. _Georgie_. Dream called him that pretty often. Hearing that name brought back the anxious feelings he'd almost stopped thinking about. George's mouth tensed.

  
"George?" Sapnap paused, his smile falling when he noticed George's expression. George just waved a hand.

  
"It's nothing. Dream-" George's explanation was cut off at the sound of approaching murmurs. They all immediately tensed and George turned so that he could peer down the hall.

  
Several pillagers were coming down, like they usually did, and began walking down the hall. George's heart fell to his feet when he noticed the other random prisoners scurrying to the corners of their cells in fear of being chosen to fight. The pillagers, however, passed by all of them to stand by George's cell. 

  
"You," One pillager sneered, glaring at Sapnap, "Come."

  
"What?! But he went just the other day!" Quackity cried out, his eyes going large. George closed his eyes, feeling waves of anxiety hitting him full force.

  
"And you," Another pillager pointed at Karl, who tensed, "Come along."

  
"Don't worry Quackity," Sapnap soothed, putting on a brave face as George opened his eyes to look at him. Sapnap's eyes were shinning with withheld hostility, "They're just hoping I get killed out there."

  
Karl's mouth dropped open at the smart talk but the first pillager that sneered at Sapnap just snorted, continuing to glare at him. George's heart plummeted again as he remembered Sapnap's story from before and he grabbed Sapnap's wrist, "Sapnap..."

  
"Don't worry George," Sapnap said softly, patting George's hand with his other one and George's eyes widened when he realized Sapnap's eyes were also shining with hope. He realized that Sapnap was hoping again for the chance to see Dream.

  
George quickly let Sapnap go when the pillagers started getting angry and his heart began hammering in his chest when both Sapnap and Karl stepped out of their respective cells, "Sapnap....if you _do_ see him, please keep him calm."

  
"Huh?" Sapnap retorted, looking confused for a moment before his eyes lit up in understanding, "If I see him I'll try to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

  
Nothing more was said as the pillagers forced Sapnap and Karl to move. George shared a helpless look with Quackity before George leaned back and sighed, staring at the ceiling. Maybe Dream will get chosen for the day and Sapnap will be able to meet him; that'd be a great thing, right? 

  
So then why did George feel so anxious?

* * *

"What do you think Techno might be planning?" Dream asked randomly after they'd eaten their breakfast rice. 

  
Wilbur groaned, "I just woke up not fifteen minutes ago. I'm too tired to think Dream."

  
Dream rolled his eyes, "Tough, Wilbur. It's something we need to talk about."

  
"Fine," Wilbur sighed loudly, "I'm not entirely sure to be honest. Techno will probably find a way to scout the place out before he thinks about attacking the pillagers."

  
"How do you know they'll even be able to find you?" Fundy asked quietly, looking serious.

  
"I'm not worried about them not being able to find me," Wilbur shrugged, his eyes glazing over in thought, "Phil's a really good tracker and he taught Techno everything he knows. So they'd have two insane trackers in the group."

  
"Oh..." Fundy blinked, surprised.

  
"That's helpful," Skeppy grinned out brightly and Dream nodded in agreement, "Though it'll still be hard to track in the nether."

  
"True, but not impossible," Wilbur smirked as he settled back against the wall. They all froze when they heard murmuring and footsteps.

  
"And they're back," Fundy muttered angrily under his breath. Dream immediately stood to face the pillagers if they came close. The last thing he wanted was to appear weak to anyone. Dream saw Skeppy stand by his side out of the corner of his eye.

  
The pillagers surprisingly went past all the other cells and came to a stop directly in front of Dream, who rose an eyebrow when they studied him with obvious disdain. He hadn't even _done_ anything yet. One pointed at him, "You, come out now."

  
"And you," Another behind him pointed at Wilbur, who blinked in surprise before he schooled his expression into a calm one. Dream was kind of impressed with that.

  
"Well, I'd say good luck but something tells me you don't need it," Skeppy laughed tensely, gently slapping Dream's back. Dream appreciated that he was keeping up positivity and smiled at him.

  
"I'll be back no problem," Dream smirked confidently and paused when he heard one the pillagers scoff. They were glaring at him. Dream ignored that and stepped out when they opened his cell door.

  
Wilbur walked out as well and didn't even glance towards any of the pillagers. And Dream squared his shoulders trying to adopt the nonchalant and confident attitude that Wilbur was oozing. It's not that he didn't feel confident it's just that he was worried about doing something wrong.

  
And apparently, the pillagers just had it out for him today because one of them clicked their tongues at him, their glare deepening as they spat out, "Look who think's they're top dog! Think whatever you want, you put one toe out of line and I won't think twice about punishing that pretty brunette boy."

  
Dream tensed, his face heating up in rage. Wilbur also tensed, his face darkening for a second and Dream jumped when Wilbur grabbed his wrist and squeezed enough to hurt like he was trying to ground him. Dream glared over at him but Wilbur shook his head before letting go of Dream's wrist.

  
Dream ground his teeth together, trying to take a deep breath because now the pillager looked smug before they turned around and it took _everything_ in him not to lash out. He silently thanked Wilbur for grounding him before he did something stupid and got someone hurt for it.

  
He was silent as they were led the rest of the way up to the platform and Dream's attention was immediately caught on the other people there. As the pillagers drifted off to prepare things for their little outing, Dream noticed the other prisoners stop what they're doing to stare at them.

  
Wilbur gave a small smile and a little wave to the only woman in the group, who smiled brightly, "Hi again Wilbur!"

  
"Hi Nikki," Wilbur greeted with a small chuckle. Dream looked away from them when his eyes caught sight of a man with tan skin and amber eyes. Dream's breath caught in his throat as their eyes met.

  
Dream could swear up and down that he'd know Sapnap _anywhere_ , no matter how much time had passed. He'd know that raven-black hair, amber eyes, and stupid white bandana anywhere. Dream actually felt his eyes burning as the man studied him for a second before his amber eyes widened and his mouth parted in shock, "N-No way... _Dream_?"

  
"Sapnap?" Dream retorted, swallowing heavily when he almost choked just trying to say his name. Sapnap's wide eyes filled disbelief and excitement. Dream wasn't prepared for Sapnap to run at him and jump on him for a hug so fierce that Dream stumbled back and hit the nether-brick wall behind him, "Sapnap...."

  
"I can't _believe it_! I was hoping but..." Sapnap started saying but stopped to squeeze him. Dream wrapped his arms around him and marveled at the fact that his friend was actually here, alive. He'd actually found him, "You're _here_!"

  
"Y-Yeah," Dream smirked and squeezed really hard once, wheezing when he heard Sapnap whine and push him away, "Dude its....it's _so_ good to finally see you. You have _no_ idea how long I've been looking for you."

  
Sapnap grinned, his eyes the brightest thing in the room. The other prisoners had gone quiet and were just staring at them. That's when Dream noticed that a lot of the pillagers were also staring at them, studying them. It made Dream uncomfortable and he shifted.

  
"A long lost friendship and a reunion...." The girl, Nikki, said with emotional tears in her wood-brown eyes. Wilbur laughed at the look on her face. She sniffed once, "I'm not crying, _you_ are..."

  
"I'm not doing anything," Wilbur teased and Nikki swatted at him. Sapnap chuckled at the pair.

  
"That was quite something. I'm surprised you didn't kiss," Another brunette teased, his blue eyes lit up with amusement. Dream flushed, slightly embarrassed.

  
Sapnap just laughed loudly, "Shut up Antfrost."

  
"I'm so happy for you guys!" Yet another brunette cheered, his light brown eyes shining with excitement, "So you're Dream? I'm Karl!"

  
"Uh, hi... nice to meet you all," Dream smiled hesitantly before looking back at Sapnap, meeting his eyes again, "You're okay, right?"

  
"Yes," Sapnap grinned and something entered his eyes, "And George is okay too."

  
Dream rose an eyebrow but felt relieved, "That' good I-"

  
Someone yanked Dream back by the hood of his hoodie and Dream choked on his sentence. He glared at the pillager that stood behind him angrily, "Stop acting like imbeciles."

  
"You didn't have to do that to him," Sapnap said angrily, his hands curled into fists. Wilbur shot Sapnap a look when the pillagers glared at him.

  
"If you were paying attention we wouldn't have to," Another pillager replied before gesturing to a cart full of weapons, "Now, equip yourselves and don't you _dare_ try anything."

  
Dream's eyebrow twitched as anger flared inside him as the pillagers glanced at him at that last. Sapnap rose an eyebrow but said nothing, coming to stand beside Dream so close that their arms were almost touching, "What's their problem?"

  
"I don't know...they hate me I guess," Dream muttered and Sapnap snorted, his eyes lit with dark amusement.

  
"We have that in common," He muttered and Dream glanced at him, "Just ignore them. You'll get used to it."

  
Dream nodded and watched as Nikki, Antfrost, and Karl chose diamond swords and shields. Wilbur and Sapnap chose the same. Dream stepped up to the cart and didn't even look at the pillagers as he also chose a shield and then picked up a diamond axe.

  
They were led out of the nether fortress after that and Nikki spoke up shyly, "I-I'll try my best guys but I'm not the best at this kind of thing..."

  
"Me either," Karl added, smiling at Nikki, "But Sapnap is great and I haven't see Wilbur fight yet."

  
"I'm okay," Wilbur shrugged as Antfrost nodded in agreement, "I have a sense that Sapnap and Dream are going to dominate though."

  
Dream snorted and Sapnap smirked a little, but he looked over at Dream curiously and Dream grinned as he offered, "Whoever takes out the most Endermen gets bragging rights?"

  
Sapnap's entire face lit up from nostalgia and the challenge, "Hell yeah. You're _on_!"

* * *

When they made it to the warped forest area, Dream looked around at all the Endermen, feeling a bit on edge that he wasn't wearing his mask. It just felt all wrong to not have it on while he was fighting. 

  
"Get going. We'll be watching you," One of the pillagers ordered, his eyes narrowing on Sapnap. Dream glared at them hatefully but turned around, doing his best to ignore his shaking hands.

  
"George tells me that you have some mad skills," Sapnap grinned as he stood by his side again. Dream's mouth twitched into a small smirk as he thought about George bragging about him. Did he really...? "So you should go first."

  
"Fine by me," Dream shrugged and immediately jogged off, looking directly at an Endermen.

  
Dream fought Endermen before, not as much as the other mobs in the overworld, so he was prepared when the Endermen teleported around. Dream felt eyes on him when he killed the Endermen easily. He turned, smirking at a shocked Sapnap before Sapnap laughed and smirked right back, wiggling his eyebrows playfully before he, too, ran off to fight an Endermen.

  
Then Dream noticed the stares of some of the pillagers. He felt inwardly pleased when he saw some of them looked tense while some were staring at him in almost disbelief and wariness. He turned, smirking as he watched Sapnap kill an Endermen that teleported behind him with ease.

  
"You guys are insane, _actually_ ," Karl spoke up with disbelief and Dream wheezed, grinning behind him where Nikki stood with her mouth wide open while Wilbur and Antfrost were watching them with amusement.

  
"I guess we better get a move on too," Wilbur sighed and walked off. Karl and Nikki hesitated before following him. Antfrost just silently followed after giving Dream one last look.

  
Dream turned back and leapt back into action, showing off his skills where he could. He heard Sapnap occasionally teasing him for being a show-off and despite their situation, Dream felt warmth in his chest. Sapnap really hadn't changed all that much.

  
For the next few minutes they continued trying to one-up each other and they only stopped when they heard Wilbur calling for help. Dream immediately rushed over to see Nikki and Karl trying to fend off two Endermen that Wilbur and Ant were trying to kill but they kept teleporting around them.

  
Dream and Sapnap both helped Wilbur and Ant eventually kill them. Karl let out a dramatic sigh of relief while Nikki thanked them for their help. Nikki glanced worriedly at the angry pillagers around them, "So far no pearls....the pillagers seem more pent up with anger today than usual."

"They're also pretty wary of Dream," Sapnap grinned, slapping Dream's arm and causing him to laugh, "My buddy looks pretty deadly out there and now they're afraid of him."

"I second that," Karl laughed out, "I'd be scared too...this guy isn't even using a _sword_!"

"Sometimes axes are better," Dream shrugged, grinning at Karl, "They're lighter than swords."

"Haven't thought of it that way before," Ant said, looking surprised as he eyed Dream's axe, "I might have to try it sometime."

"But for now we should get back to fighting," Wilbur warned, looking at the pillagers warily, "Nikki's right....they are more pent up with anger today. Let's not make things worse."

"Right," Sapnap huffed, glaring at the ground, "Let's get this over with then..."

Dream followed Sapnap around as they looked for more Endermen to kill. As they found one, they both looked at it at the same time and gasped when it came for them both. Sapnap immediately blocked a hit and swung his sword at the Endermen. Just before it tried to teleport, Dream chopped it's head off with a clean sweep, stunning Sapnap, " _Jesus_ dude...."

"Even Endermen can't live without their heads," Dream joked darkly and Sapnap rolled his eyes, "I'm at four Endermen kills by the way. You're at three."

" _What?!_ You can't claim this one when we both hit it!" Sapnap argued and Dream blinked at him, surprised that he was arguing with him. Dream wheezed.

"But _I_ cut off it's head," Dream argued back playfully.

"Are you guys being _serious_ right now? You sound like psychopaths!" Karl commented incredulously and they both turned to see the others had gotten closer to them as they fought. Nikki giggled.

"That axe sweep was incredible though," Wilbur whistled and Dream grinned.

"Thanks."

"Get moving! You're not done yet!" One pillager screamed suddenly. Both Karl and Nikki jumped while Sapnap's eyes darkened in a glare and Dream frowned in their direction. 

Dream shook his head and turned, leaping off the small incline they were on to look at and battle another Endermen. The others began fighting again and they continued to try and fight Endermen for the next thirty or so minutes. Dream couldn't really tell. He just knew that his arms were beginning to ache. He glanced over to see Nikki struggling to hold a shield up but Karl managed to help Wilbur kill the one that was bearing down on her.

After the last one died, Dream looked at Sapnap. He seemed to be getting a little tired as well and Dream turned to glance at the pillagers. They appeared to be talking amongst themselves and then they seemed to be almost angrier than before. Then he realized that was probably due to the fact that not a _single_ Endermen dropped a pearl. In a way, Dream felt victorious.

"Follow," One pillager eventually ordered, "It is time to head back."

"Thank God," Karl sighed lowly, rolling one of his arms, "I don't think I had any fight left in me."

Sapnap quickly jogged to walk by Dream's side and they shared a grin, "Nice work out there. George wasn't lying when he said you're good at fighting. I'm not surprised though."

"Really?" Dream laughed, feeling a bit happy at that, "You're pretty awesome yourself! You've gotten so much better."

"Well it was either that or die," Sapnap joked but Dream detected the tenseness of the joke and his smile fell. Dream frowned, glancing over at Sapnap hesitantly, "Anyway, what's up with you and George?"

Dream rose an eyebrow, feeling lost, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know exactly but when George talks about you he gets kinda blush-y and sometimes he gets defensive," Sapnap shrugged, eyeing Dream out of the corner of his eye. Dream blinked. George gets defensive? "Never mind...."

"George blushes easily," Dream commented, looking at Sapnap in confusion. Sapnap looked at him and snickered.

"I noticed. I was just wondering-"

Sapnap was cut off when a growl filled the air. Dream and Sapnap both tensed and looked around for the source until they noticed a few hostile-looking pillagers arguing about sending them back out to fight versus bringing them back to the fortress. Sapnap sighed, "Today's one of those days where they aren't patient."

Dream said nothing, wondering why he felt a growing sense of anxiety. They made it back to the fortress and the pillagers stopped arguing enough to start ordering them around again, "Lay your weapons down on the rack and step back."

Wilbur and Antfrost immediately did so followed by Karl and Nikki. They were whispering amongst each other and Dream couldn't tell what they were talking about. Based off their calm faces, it wasn't anything bad, probably just chatter. Dream discarded his axe and shield when a pillager glared at him. Then Sapnap stepped from his side to do the same.

As Sapnap went to lay down his sword and shield, a foot struck out and forced him to fall to the ground with a harsh thud. Dream's eyes widened and he heard Ant and Nikki gasp. Sapnap glared over his shoulder, "Really? You're gonna be childish now?"

The pillager that apparently tripped him glared back at him, his eyes flashing. He jerked his foot out and kicked Sapnap in the stomach. Sapnap gasped and groaned out in pain. Dream immediately growled and barked out, "Hey! Stop! It wasn't his fault that you forced him to fall!"

Another pillager shot him a dirty look, "Stay out of this or we'll get you too."

The pillager that kicked Sapnap smirked smugly when Sapnap glared up at him, "You guys think you're so tough and can do whatever you want just because you're skilled at fighting!"

The pillager kicked Sapnap right in the rib and he cried out in pain. Nikki gasped, "Wait! Please stop!"

"He didn't do anything wrong!" Karl pleaded, his face white with fear. Wilbur and Antfrost looked stunned in place at what was suddenly happening.

Dream saw red and acted before he realized what he was doing. He pushed past the pillager that warned him along with two others and put all his strength into his shoulder to slam the pillager that was hurting Sapnap away from him. The pillager stumbled backwards quickly and tripped over the little ledge of the fortress before falling over with a sharp panicked shout.

Everything that happened after that was something out of a nightmare.

Sapnap's eyes slowly went wide and the rest of the pillagers all froze or tensed in shock. Wilbur and Antfrost paled while Nikki gasped harshly, a hand over her mouth. Dream blinked at where the pillager disappeared and felt a heat wave of panic wash over him as he realized what just happened.

He just accidentally pushed a pillager over the edge of the fortress and into the lava lake below. Dream killed him. 

"Oh my God...no, no, _no_ ," Sapnap gasped out, panicking, "What did you just do?"

"It-It was an accident," Dream pleaded, his eyes going from Sapnap to one of the pillagers that finally turned to regard him.

"Restrain them!" He barked the order out harshly and it sounded like it hurt his throat. Dream and Sapnap struggled when several of the pillagers immediately leapt into action and grabbed them by their arms, holding them in place, "You killed him!"

"You actually _dared_ to fight back and kill one of us," Another pillager growled and Dream felt like he was heavily sweating and desperately tried to keep the fear off his face. Sapnap, however, was already hyperventilating, his tan skin pale.

"Wait, _please_ ," Nikki pleaded and Dream looked to see her eyes wild with fear and her face pale as well, "H-He was just trying to stop that guy from really hurting Sapnap. He wasn't _trying_ to kill him....please...."

"It wasn't his job to step in," The pillager told her cruelly and Dream bit back on the growl that tried to force its way out of his throat.

"H-He doesn't know the rules that well yet," Antfrost spoke on his behalf, his hands shaking.

"Well then I guess your fellow prisoners didn't do a good enough job of warning you," Another pillager spat out as he glared at Dream, "We warned you _multiple_ times what would happen if you tried _anything_."

"What punishment should we give them?" Yet another pillager asked in an almost bored tone. Dream couldn't believe this was happening. Sapnap's head came up, his eyes still wide with panic.

"Sapnap didn't do anything!" Karl cried out and flinched when two of the pillagers turned to glare at him. 

"He's right. Punish _me_ if you have to but Sapnap didn't do anything," Dream added, surprised by how calm that came out. The two pillagers in front of Sapnap and Dream glared at him then.

"Oh but he _did_ ," One of the other pillagers muttered darkly but Dream couldn't focus on that because suddenly the two pillagers in front of them straightened and looked at each other.

"I know the perfect punishment," The one in front of Dream grinned wickedly and Dream's heart fell into his feet. Then he turned to look behind him, "Some of you go get that small brunette boy in the left hall and take him to the sweatbox."

" _No_!" Sapnap gasped loudly, lunging forward just as Dream jolted from the sudden movement.

"Three days for him in the sweatbox then," The one in front of Sapnap grinned as he watched Sapnap's reaction like he was enjoying himself, "Yes that's a good punishment."

"No! _No_! Just punish me! Just throw _me_ in there, I can handle it again!" Sapnap pleaded and Dream's eyes widened at how desperate he sounded. Dream felt like he was experiencing all this from very far away.

He could tell that Antfrost and Karl were saying something in a begging tone as well while Wilbur attempted to console a crying Nikki while he looked at Dream wildly. Sapnap struggled anew when several pillagers left, "No! _Please_! He won't survive three days! Just punish us!"

"We _are_ punishing you," The one in front of Dream answered with a cruel smile, "And if he dies in the sweatbox then that'll be on both of you."

Dream snapped out of his shock then and growled, lunging forward but not getting anywhere, "Don't do this. You'll regret it!"

"Look at who's still trying to act like they're a big shot?" The one in front of Dream scoffed, his eyes lit with rage and Dream gasped in pain when he was punched in the stomach, "Haven't you and this one learned by now that _we're_ in charge?"

"I already know that. I've known that since _last_ time," Sapnap commented, his breath coming and going in small pants as he continued to panic, "Please choose something else, _anything_ else."

"Shut up," The one in front of Sapnap growled and Sapnap flinched. Dream felt the rage growing in his chest at the look on Sapnap's face. He'd never seen anyone more terrified than how Sapnap looked now. Just what was the sweatbox?

"Alright now that _that's_ settled," Another pillager sighed like they were tired and Dream never felt like killing anyone more, "Let's get the rest of them back to their cells."

"Wait, please, reconsider!" Karl begged but gasped when he was pushed forward. Sapnap lunged again and was rewarded with a slap to the face. Dream growled.

"You're going to fucking regret this! You have _no_ idea," Dream warned them, feeling almost wild and out of place with how angry he was, "You hurt them and you'll answer to me."

"I'm _so_ scared," The one in front of Dream taunted but his eyes shined with anger, "Don't make us throw in that other brunette here and your black-clad friend."

Sapnap and Dream both froze as Karl gasped at being included suddenly. Dream felt a shiver wash over him as he realized that there was nothing he could do to stop this unless he just wanted to hurt more people due to his actions. His eyes burned a little but he _refused_ to show tears of any kind in front of them.

Wilbur and Nikki were pushed away and the two pillagers holding both Sapnap and Dream began to forced them apart and down the stairs. Dream felt endless waves of rage and self-hatred coursing through him.

George....

* * *

"So compared to Karl you've only been here for 8 months?" George asked as he tilted his head at Quackity. They'd been swapping stories to keep their mind off their missing friends. 

Quackity nodded, "Yeah I was captured 8 months ago....my family didn't make it during the attack either...."

"I-I'm sorry," George wilted and Quackity gave him a weak smile, shrugging one shoulder.

"They didn't suffer and for that I'm thankful, you know?" Quackity replied and George nodded, his chest aching. They both jumped when they heard distant shouting. It was too distant to pick up, "What the hell?"

George's previous anxiety returned tenfold. Did something happen? Are the others back yet? Did something happen while they were out? What if Sapnap was hurt? George found himself breathing quicker and took a deep breath to calm himself. He was being a little too anxious.

A couple of tense quiet minutes later passed before George heard stomping and his heart stuttered in his chest. Several pissed-looking pillagers came stomping down the stairs and Quackity gasped. They both shared a look of fear when they noticed a lack of Sapnap or Karl. The pillagers pinned their gaze on George and he paled, freezing with fear. 

What was going on?

The pillagers opened his cell door and George took a couple of steps back. One of them sneered angrily at him, "Come. You're being punished due to your friends' complete lack of common sense."

" _What?_!" Georgie cried at the same time Quackity yelled, "Wait what?!"

George gasped as he was grabbed by two pillagers. They were grabbing his upper arms so tight that George winced, sure it was going to leave bruises. He began panicking as they dragged him away. Quackity yelled hysterically, " _George!!_ "

"W-What happened?" George asked, struggling slightly in his panic. The pillagers were not amused and jerked him forward. He cried out at the pain in his arms when they did so.

"The unmasked man and your cellmate decided to fight against us. The unmasked man killed one of our allies," One of the pillagers explained as they pulled him up the steps to the platform before dragging him to the back. George's eyes widened at what he just heard.

" _What...?_ " He trailed off brokenly. Dream killed one of them? Why? There's no way Dream would just do that knowing someone could get punished if he did. George realized he was being pulled down more steps and towards a hallway on the right. George's breath hitched.

"W-Where are we going?!" He asked hysterically, remembering Sapnap's earlier story.

"Your punishment includes three days in the sweatbox due to the unmasked man," One of the pillagers told him with a scowl. George gasped and his eyes widened as panic rushed through his veins. He remembered how Sapnap described the room just earlier that day. This _couldn't_ be happening.

George was led down to a long staircase that Sapnap described and George could already feel the heat rising as they descended further down. One of the pillagers spoke up, "You know I feel bad for you, having such a reckless and thoughtless friend."

George bit his lip until he tasted blood because one, he _hated_ that they were talking about Dream this way and two, he was super confused about what the circumstances were and three, he was terrified. The pillager continued, "It was nice taking him down a few pegs."

They made it all the way down and George swallowed heavily, his entire body shaking as he eyed the iron door that had three different latches on it to keep it locked. A pillager began unlocking it and George tried to steady his panting into normal breaths but he struggled. Once the door was open George gasped loudly as they walked forward and literally threw him inside before latching it behind him.

The entire thing was made from nether brick and nothing else. There was nothing in the room save for a iron bucket and frustrated tears filled George's eyes. He turned to the latched iron door and took a deep breath, trying to quell the nausea he felt building. He jumped when a pillager spoke to him, "You know what's fucked up? We made him chose. It was either _you_ or your cellmate. He chose you over your cellmate in a heartbeat. We were all pretty surprised."

George's eyes widened as he froze. Dream chose for him to come here? Well, if that were _really_ true then George didn't blame him. Sapnap had already suffered this once and George just promised him he wouldn't have to again. If that was the case, George was glad to be in here instead of Sapnap. He glared at the door. They said that was fucked up? What they're doing now is more fucked up.

"Oh well, enjoy your three days alone. Good luck," The pillager laughed cruelly and George heard footsteps walking away. He let out a breath and slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

It was hot, Sapnap wasn't kidding. He could already feel himself sweating. George quickly took off his hoodie and bunched in behind him. He took off his shoes and socks. He could do this. He could survive three days....

But could he _really_? Sapnap said he barely survived two days and he's built better than George. George gulped and shook his head, watching his hands shake. The heat was making him still feel nauseous and George put his head on his knees to stable himself. He desperately wished he wasn't by himself right now.

He hoped the others could escape soon. George was so tired of all this endless crap they were going through. He blinked into his knees when he remembered when Bad claimed all their good luck was leading to something terrible. Turns out he wasn't kidding, huh....

George hugged his knees tight, refusing the tears that wanted to build up in his eyes. Tears would only dehydrate him faster.

George could do this. He _would_ do this. He could hold out. Hopefully he wouldn't have to though. George fervently hoped that Techno hurried up and found them here so that they could escape. 

A sudden thought hit George then. The pillagers said that he was being punished for what Dream and Sapnap did...regardless of what was the truth and what wasn't, George froze when he realized how Sapnap and Dream must be feeling right now. George's breath quickened and he pressed his face closer to his knees, biting back more tears.

What had they done to deserve this?

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Gogy, Sapnap, and Dream!!! Those lying, cruel pillagers are so doomed by the wrath that's coming to them, Dream's not kidding guys. 👀
> 
> Anyways, thank you all for your continued support and, as always, let me know in the comments if you are confused about anything! ✨


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream decides he can't wait for Techno to help them out and makes plans to fight back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry this update took me a little longer than usual. I've been dealing with some personal things and I needed it to be done before I could focus on writing! I hope I didn't make you too impatient, haha! 😂
> 
> Also thank you so much! This story officially hit 10,000 hits and now it is at 115 bookmarks and 500 kudos! Thank you all for your numerous support for my story!! 🙏💞

The silence was so heavy in the air that it threatened to choke Dream as he was harshly tugged and pushed down the steps towards the center hall. It felt like his ears were ringing and he had a hard time focusing on anything other than how awful he felt. He was so enraged that his body was shaking and yet he clung to the rational that if he fought back others would be hurt just like George; Dream was sure he couldn't handle that.

  
Besides being enraged, Dream had never felt such hatred towards himself as he did in that moment. He'd only wanted to stop that pillager from hurting Sapnap, he wasn't trying to kill him. Sapnap was a tough guy, obviously, so why couldn't Dream just hold in his anger and rage like everyone else seemed able to do?

  
"Dream!"

  
Dream flinched a little but couldn't bear to lift his head to look Skeppy in the eyes. He sounded so worried and while Dream thought of Skeppy as a growing friend, he was still somewhat surprised by how quickly he was accepted by the others. Dream clenched his teeth together to ground himself when the pillagers unlocked his cell door and pushed him inside.

  
He landed on the ground on his hands and knees and shifted so that he was sitting up, staring at the wall. A cruel voice spoke up harshly, "Maybe _now_ you'll know your place."

  
Dream whipped his head around to glare hatefully at the pillager. He had no idea what he looked like, but the two pillagers there stepped backwards, their eyes wide. A look of fear flashed through their faces before the pillager that spoke glared at him, "What a freak..."

  
Dream glared at them until they left and then jumped when Fundy near shouted, "What was that about?! We heard a bunch of yelling earlier but couldn't make out anything and then _this_ happens!"

  
There was an awkward pause and Dream assumed it was because they were waiting for him to speak. Dream's tongue felt heavy in his mouth and he shifted his eyes to the wall, avoiding their stares. 

  
"I'll tell you..." Wilbur spoke up quietly and Dream had all but forgotten about him until that point.

  
Dream tuned out as Wilbur began to fill in Skeppy and Fundy on everything that happened while they were out. He sat back against the wall heavily, curled his knees up, and placed his face in his hands, wishing for his mask fervently.

  
George....George didn't deserve to be hurt just because Dream couldn't hold himself back for even _one_ goddamn moment. Dream snarled into his hands, feeling waves of endless frustration towards things too numerous to count. 

  
He tuned back in to his cellmates' conversation unwillingly when Skeppy started shouting, " _What?!_ They threatened Bad too?!"

  
"Calm down Skeppy its-"

  
"I can't calm down Fundy! They threw George in the _sweatbox_ and now they're even more worked up! What if they hurt Bad?!" Skeppy said loudly, his voice pinched with worry.

  
"I don't think they will. Those bastards seemed way too thrilled by Dream and Sapnap's reactions," Wilbur sighed and Dream scowled further into his hands at that, almost digging his fingernails into his face, "But there's one piece of good news. I didn't get to share it before...."

  
"What?" Fundy questioned and Dream peered over at Wilbur, taking his hands away from his face. What in the hell was Wilbur talking about?

  
"During the fights we had with the Endermen, I cut off a piece of my trench coat to leave behind for Techno or Phil to find," Wilbur explained as he gestured to the brown button-up trench coat he wore. Dream's eyes slowly widened a bit, feeling pinpricks of hope beginning to form in his chest.

  
"Whoa! That's a good idea," Fundy grinned, his face brightening, "Nice going Wil!"

  
"Thank you..." Wilbur grinned back and Dream thought of George again.

  
"Will they come before three days?" Dream asked slowly, his voice low. It startled the other three as they stared at him. Dream must have looked awful or extremely pissed off still because Wilbur flinched when their eyes met.

  
"I....I really don't know Dream. I think it might be a few days...," Wilbur gulped, looking nervous. Dream's previous hope dropped to his feet and he growled, standing quickly before punching the nether brick wall with his fist so hard that he winced.

  
"Drea-"

  
"George doesn't have a few days!" Dream shouted, glaring over at Wilbur, "We can't wait for Techno to get here anymore we have to get out!"

  
"Wait a second Dream just calm down," Skeppy gasped as he stepped forward and when Dream looked at him, he froze, "Ge-George is stronger than you think he is both mentally _and_ physically. I don't think even he knows how strong he really is..."

  
Dream made a face that felt torn between desperation and sadness, "But Sapnap acted like.....he was....Sapnap said he was there before and he doesn't think George will survive!"

  
Skeppy's eyes widened and he looked both shocked and confused, "What...? Sapnap never mentioned anything like that...."

  
"He's been in there before," Fundy spoke up and they all looked at him in surprise. Fundy was glaring at the floor, "I only heard the story from Karl and he heard it directly from Sapnap...."

  
Dream's knees shook, "So he has been in the sweatbox before...? What is it exactly?"

  
"It's a room that's built way down below the fortress. It hovers over the lava lake enough to make you sweat when you're in the room but not too hot that you die too quickly," Fundy explained as his lips curled in disgust, "It's cruel and Sapnap once got punished for destroying the pillagers supplies and had to stay in there for two whole days."

  
Dream sat down heavily on the ground and thought back on the desperation on Sapnap's face when the pillagers announced George would be punished. No wonder he was so freaked out. Calm rage bloomed in Dream's chest and he spat out, "There's no way they're getting away with this...."

  
"Yeah..." Skeppy frowned, watching Dream, who brought his knees to his chest and shoved his face into his knees again.

  
Things went silent and Dream couldn't stop thinking of ways to get revenge. Just killing the pillagers for everything they've done seemed too lenient. Should he just lock them away in the cages like they did to the others and leave them to die of exposure? Or should he lock them in the sweatbox the way they did to Sapnap and George?

  
Dream pictured it for a moment and felt a dark twist of satisfaction in his chest until he thought about George again. George, who was alone in a room suspended above a lava lake. Dream's chest ached with longing. What he wouldn't give to just go rescue him and hold him, "We can't wait for Techno to come help us..."

  
The others blinked out of their own dazes and Wilbur looked wary, "What do you want Dream? I'm sorry I can't predict when my family will be here."

  
"We need to escape on our own within the next two days," Dream muttered and Fundy gasped, obviously surprised. Wilbur and Skeppy's eyes widened.

  
"We can't do that!" Skeppy cried out and flinched when Dream pulled his face from his knees to glare at him, "Look, I'm sorry about George but its impossible to break all of us prisoners out without someone getting killed!"

  
Frustration bled into Dream's face, "So we do nothing and let George slowly die?!"

  
"No but we can't just make reckless attempts to escape when Bad's and everyone's life is on the line!" Skeppy's voice increased into a shout as he also looked frustrated.

  
"If everyone would just _get_ on board and not be controlled by _fear_ then we could have the advantage on them!" Dream growled and Skeppy felt his last bit of patience snap.

  
"Can't you understand by now why we're afraid? We don't want to lose anyone else!" Skeppy said coldly, "I'm not going to endanger Bad's or anyone else's life for a reckless escape attempt just because _you_ can't trust George to survive on his own."

  
Dream's eyes widened in his glare and he snarled, standing so abruptly that Fundy jumped. Wilbur stood there stunned and he watched them both. Skeppy broke out into a sweat due to the intimidation he felt from Dream but kept his cold stare. He was serious. 

  
"Okay, wait, calm down!" Fundy gasped out, looking panicked, "I think you're both right!"

  
"What?!" Both Dream and Skeppy demanded simultaneously. Fundy jumped again and was surprised when Wilbur put a steady hand on his back.

  
"Skeppy's right that we can't be reckless about _any_ escape plan," Fundy swallowed, looking at them seriously, "We'd have to be 100% sure that we could pull it off without losing anyone. And Dream's also right....we can't wait any longer. I don't know about you, Skeppy, but I don't want George to die to these psychopaths."

  
"Of course I don't want him to die!" Skeppy frowned, his hands curling into fists, "I just...I _just_ found Bad again and we haven't even gotten to _see_ each other yet! Who's to say that things don't go wrong and what happened to George happens to Bad?!"

  
Dream leaned back, his eyes widened at the tears that were suddenly shining in Skeppy's eyes. The growing rage Dream felt began dissipating slightly as he thought of Bad, his friend and his rock that always listened to his worries about George. Dream swallowed heavily, "I don't want anything to happen to Bad either...which is why we need to get the hell outta here."

  
"I second that," Wilbur grinned and Fundy sighed in relief. Skeppy rubbed his eyes, sighing.

  
"Look, for right now, let's calm down and take our time discussing possible ideas okay?" Fundy spoke up, smiling weakly, "I haven't met him yet, but George doesn't sound like the guy that'll just give up and he doesn't sound weak. So...try to keep a level head, okay Dream?"

  
Dream inhaled sharply and then exhaled, sitting calmly on the floor, "I'll try my best...."

* * *

"George was _what_?!!?" Bad cried, tears pooling into his green eyes and Nikki sniffed, nodding to affirm what Antfrost told them, "And it's a room suspended over a lava lake?! Oh my gosh, he'll die!"

  
"It's possible for him to survive, I think," Ant told him, trying to cheer up the normally positive male, "George seemed pretty healthy so it's possible."

  
"&*@#*0...."

  
Antfrost, Nikki, and Bad all jumped at the sudden senseless rambling they heard. Nikki's eyes widened when she glanced at her cellmate pacing around, a look of panic on his face. Ranboo seemed absolutely devastated by the news that George was put in the sweatbox. 

  
"What....Ranboo?" Bad called out uncertainly, shocked by the weird noises Ranboo was making. It almost sounded like Endermen noises. Ranboo was breathing quickly, "Is he alright?"

  
"This happens when he gets stressed," Nikki explained, wiping her eyes and standing, hands out to try and comfort Ranboo, "Ranboo....Ranboo stop a minute and talk to us, okay?"

  
Ranboo seemed to shrink in on himself the longer they stared at him so Antfrost quickly looked away and urged Bad to do the same by whispering, "He doesn't like to be stared at..."

  
"Oh sorry," Bad trailed off, looking at the ground. His heart was beating out of his chest. He'd yet to leave the cell since he was put in here and all he's been able to do is hear the stories of his friends. And now after learning what happened with Dream, George, and Sapnap....Bad felt a sense of anger. 

  
From what it sounded like, Dream was just defending Sapnap. Why did the pillagers have to be so cruel?! Bad frowned, feeling tears in his eyes again. He just wants to see his friends again.....to see Skeppy...

  
"S-....Sorry," Ranboo breathed out and they looked up at him again. Nikki stepped away to give him space, "I kind of....freaked out. Sorry.."

  
"It's okay Ranboo. We understand," Nikki smiled warmly and Ranboo wrapped his arms around himself, his tall body hunched forward a little.

  
"We have to get out of here," Ranboo rambled as he stared at the ground in distress, "We have to help George...."

  
"How can we though?" Antfrost frowned as he also curled into himself, "There's so many of them and not enough of _us_ that can reasonably fight. I thought that Techno guy was gonna come help Wilbur..."

  
"We don't know when that is though from what you guys have told me," Bad said seriously, "George might not have that kind of time...."

  
"I can get us out of here but..." Ranboo stopped speaking and winced, "It won't be easy and it'll take time we don't have. I'll be discovered and we'll be punished..."

  
"Ranboo....can I ask about that...you say you can get us out but how?" Nikki asked gently, "I know you said you have an ability you didn't want the pillagers to figure out..."

  
"Yes I...its kind of hard to explain," Ranboo sighed, closing his differently colored eyes, "Have you guys heard of the silk touch enchantment?"

  
"Yes," Bad nodded immediately and Nikki giggled before nodding as well.

  
"Most people know if they're taught in a school," Ant smiled in a confused way, "Why are you bringing that enchantment up? It's super rare..."

  
Ranboo nodded slowly, "I have a power that's kind of similar to that enchantment..."

  
"What?" Bad gasped, his eyes lighting up, "How is that possible? A silk touch enchantment is an enchantment put on pickaxes that retain the perfect shape of anything it mines. It's super helpful when mining for ores and building supplies."

  
"I can do it with my hands though it takes longer than with a pickaxe," Ranboo admitted and the three were stupefied for a moment.

  
"I'm sorry....did you just say you could mine with your _hands_?" Antfrost asked, pointing a shaky finger at him in disbelief.

  
"Uh...mining probably isn't the right word," Ranboo shuffled awkwardly as he stared at his hands, "I'm a bit stronger than the average human so I can dig and pull things into the perfect shape when I want to, kind of like a silk touch enchantment....I told you its hard to explain."

  
Nikki's eyes widened at a revelation she had, "Like an Endermen...."

  
The room grew quiet and after a moment of hesitation Ranboo nodded. Bad's eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat, "That's amazing..."

  
"Yeah it is...but how would that help us escape?" Antfrost asked hesitantly, "Could you break the bars if you're strong or something?"

  
"No...I was thinking more like...." Ranboo trailed off squatting in front of the cell door and patting the nether brick flooring. Antfrost's eyes widened and Nikki gasped.

  
"You'd be able to dig out a hole in the floor?" Nikki gasped out, "How does it not hurt your hands to do that?"

  
"I have thick skin and...." Ranboo blinked for a moment, "My hands are just made strong? I think?"

  
Nikki blinked back, "Oh....okay..."

  
"Wait so you can for sure dig a hole out and be able to get the rest of us out too?" Bad asked, his eyes still wide, "Because if it takes long then there's no way you can dig a hole for every cell."

  
"That's what I've been saying...." Ranboo sighed sadly and then he looked hesitant, "But...I could get myself out and then break the locks. I know how to break locks....but that'd still take a good bit of time to break the lock on _everyone's_ cell."

"True...but way faster than trying to dig with your hands," Antfrost said with a small smile, "That still sounds impossible by the way..."

  
"We need to let everyone know what Ranboo can do and set up a time for him to do it," Bad frowned and Ranboo suddenly looked stressed again, "Is that alright with you, Ranboo? You'd be helping us out a lot."

  
"I...I don't mind. I _want_ to help everyone," Ranboo smiled hesitantly, "But the others need to know and be ready because.....because I don't want anyone to die because of me."

  
Nikki, Antfrost, and Bad all shared an understanding look. They wouldn't want to have that pressure either. Antfrost smiled, "We'll tell the others to spread the word tomorrow, whoever get's chosen...."

* * *

That was the plan, however, the next day came and went with no sign of the pillagers. That had _never_ happened before. Antfrost and Nikki were floored. The pillagers didn't even show up with food or water like they normally did, which riled up the fear in the other random prisoners.

  
Ranboo grew more distressed as well, "Why haven't they come?! They didn't show themselves at all yesterday!"

  
"You don't think this is a punishment do you?" Nikki asked, looking pale as she held her shaking hands together, "They were pretty mad about Dream and Sapnap..."

  
"But they've never withheld food or water. They need us to be strong enough to fight for them," Antfrost said with disbelief in his tone, "Maybe something else is going on?"

  
"I hope it's not about Dream again..." Bad spoke up anxiously, his hands held tightly together like he was praying. Antfrost frowned sadly at him, "What do we do...? We can't spread the word of Ranboo's plan like this...."

  
"I don't know...." Antfrost sighed, crossing his arms over his knees and resting his chin on them, "Poor George has already been in there a day now...and we basically can't do anything...."

  
"If only they'd just come," Ranboo frowned, glaring down the hallway, "Then we could spread the word and get everyone ready by tomorrow. If we could just spread the word today somehow..."

  
"Yeah....it's already morning and still no sign of them..." Nikki sighed as well, curling her arms around her rumbling stomach, "I'm hungry...."

  
A few hours passed and the others were getting restless. There was still no sign of the pillagers. What were they doing? Was this really a punishment? The more Bad thought about it, the more panicked he became. He really wished he could see Dream because he couldn't help but worry that something else might have happened to him. 

  
"This is fucking _ridiculous_!" Antfrost cursed, his face contorting in pain as he curled into himself. His stomach was clenching around nothing. They'd not eaten yesterday and it was already morning but the pillagers still weren't showing, which meant they would have no breakfast unless they did.

  
"Language Ant!" Bad gasped, but he looked at him sympathetically, "I'm sure we're just overthinking things..."

  
"They've never missed feeding us. Not once Bad," Ranboo said as he hugged himself tighter, his eyes pinched with stress, "Something's wrong..."

  
"What do we do?" Nikki asked softly, rubbing her arm, "If we wait too long...what will happen to us? To George?"

  
Ranboo tensed and glanced at her worriedly, "I-If things stay this way for too long I could just do my idea anyway even if it's a risk since the others won't be prepared...."

  
"I don't know..." Antfrost grumbled uncertainly under his breath. 

  
It went silent for a few minutes and the silence was finally broken when they heard distant sounds of chattering. Bad's heart leapt in his throat with a strange sense of hope instead of fear. Were the pillagers finally showing themselves? 

  
But that hope dissipated immediately when the pillagers did indeed appear coming down the steps, but they were pulling a young boy along with them. Bad heard Nikki and Ranboo gasp while Antfrost sucked in a breath in shock. 

  
The young boy had beach-blonde hair and sky blue eyes. His young boyish features were rounded and it was obvious he was still a child, a teen under 18 at best. Bad's heart clenched in his chest and his breath stuck in his throat.

  
They remained silent as they pushed the young boy into the cell beside Ranboo and Nikki's before throwing the usual water bottles and rice bowls in. Part of the rice spilled over from how carelessly they threw it. Antfrost glared but the pillagers didn't even look at them, like they were choosing to ignore their presence all together.

  
Bad was just thankful for any food or water. He pushed Ant's share towards him, capturing his attention, and then leaned back to look at the new boy, "Are you okay?"

  
The young boy was in the middle of looking around with a startling amount of calm awareness, like he was memorizing the surroundings. His sky blue eyes lit up and he actually smiled, "Yeah, I'm fine! Thanks for asking! Are _you_ guys okay?"

  
"Uh..." Ant trailed off, stunned by the boy's cheerfulness despite just being thrown in a literal cell. 

  
Nikki blinked, "We're okay....what's your name?"

  
"I'm Tubbo!" The boy smiled brightly, "What about you guys?"

  
"I-I'm Bad and that's Antfrost," Bad introduced his cellmate since Ant was too busy staring at the young boy incredulously. Tubbo giggled, snickering as he turned to Ranboo and Nikki.

  
"Oh...I'm Nikki and this is Ranboo," Nikki stuttered out as she studied the small boy. Tubbo's smiled immediately vanished as he got his first look at Ranboo. His eyes widened and Ranboo shifted his gaze away awkwardly.

  
"What the....you look awesome! How are your eyes and skin color two _different_ colors?!" Tubbo asked, his eyes lighting up with pure amazement and curiosity. Ranboo's eyes widened at the unexpected positive response.

  
"Uh... I'm not sure," Ranboo said slowly, "Tubbo right? What happened out there? How did you get caught?"

  
Tubbo smiled glancing towards the hall for a moment before looking at them with more seriousness, "My friend and I got caught on purpose. We are part of a group that's going to rescue you! Maybe that'll be hard to believe but-"

  
Bad gasped, leaning forward immediately, "Are you talking about Techno?!"

  
Tubbo's eyes widened as he stared at Bad in surprise, "You know about him? Have you talked to Wilbur then?!"

  
"Yeah," Antfrost nodded and Tubbo looked insanely relieved, "Then are you a part of his family that he's been talking about?"

  
"Oh...w-well not really. I'm a friend of the family!" Tubbo replied, his shoulder's tense and they wondered why such a cheerful person tensed around such a question, "Anyways, Techno sent me and my friend here to get you guys ready for when he storms the place!"

  
"So he knows where we are?" Nikki asked with a growing hopeful smile on his face.

  
Tubbo smirked mischievously, "Yup! We tracked Wilbur this far and snuck around looking for signs of him. Then we found a piece of his clothes!"

  
Tubbo continued sheepishly before any of them could speak, "This is probably a lot to take in. Let me tell you a bit more...."

* * *

"This is crazy! It's been a day!" Skeppy cried out as he continued to pace around the cell. Fundy just watched him, unsure what to say to relieve his worries. Wilbur was quietly thinking and Dream....Dream was beginning to look more unstable with each hour that passed.

  
"Why haven't they shown themselves to choose someone?" Dream growled out as he glared intently down the hall, "Or brought some food? Are they just messing with me some more?"

  
"They wouldn't want us to get too weak though," Fundy finally spoke up, "It makes no sense to withhold food or water from us if they want us strong enough to fight for them."

  
"I can't wait much longer than this..." Dream trailed off, his lips tightening, "We have to help George! He's already been in that place for a day!"

  
"We talked about it though...even if we pick the locks somehow...it'd take so much time to help everyone else," Skeppy sighed, his shoulders slumping, "And we'd need _everyone_ to stand a chance fighting back against them..."

  
Dream slumped over in defeat, hating the anxiousness he felt that made his fingers want to shake. He was so worried about George, "I know..."

  
The sound of distant struggling made them all go silent and whirl their heads around to stare at the staircase. Fundy gasped when a couple of pillagers came into view, dragging the figure of a tall boy. Dream was startled at the sight of a new prisoner. What in the hell happened?

  
The tall boy was kind of lanky, like he hadn't fully grown into his body yet. Dream was surprised to see how young the boy looked. He had a few freckles on his boyish face, his hair was sun-blonde, his eyes ocean-blue in color, and he even had braces on his teeth, good lord.

  
As the pillagers dragged the boy further in, Dream caught movement in the corner of his eye and saw Wilbur stumble forward. His eyes widened when Wilbur's face paled, his mouth opening in shock as recognition flashed through his eyes before he quickly schooled his expression into a void one before the pillagers noticed.

  
"Yeah, you better run!" The boy shouted after the pillagers threw him in the cell beside Dream and Skeppy's. The pillagers ignored him and Dream heard Fundy let out a sigh of relief when they carelessly threw bottles of water in each of the cells along with bowls of rice. So they were feeding them after all...

  
"Don't say stuff like that! You could get us in trouble!" Fundy scolded the new boy, who turned to glare at him but as soon as he looked in that direction, his blue eyes widened like he was struck.

  
" _Wilbur_!" He gasped and Wilbur glanced down the hall to make sure the pillagers were gone before he turned to the boy with a glare.

  
"What the hell are you doing here Tommy?!" Wilbur demanded, looking both worried and pissed, "What _happened_?"

  
Dream straightened in shock and he heard Skeppy inhale sharply. This was Wilbur's little brother? Then if he's here....

  
"Techno sent me and Tubbo out," Tommy explained with a grin forming on his face, "We're here to prepare you guys for when he comes with the others."

  
" _What_?" Fundy gasped, his eyes widening. Wilbur rose an eyebrow in confusion.

  
"Tubbo's here too? Why would Techno...."

  
"Tubbo was carried off to the right hall or something," Tommy mumbled, looking put off by that fact, "But Techno sent us here to make sure you and the other people here are ready for when he attacks this place."

  
"So he's coming? _When_ is he coming?!" Dream demanded, leaning closer. Tommy jumped before looking at him like he was first noticing him. He rose an eyebrow.

  
"Probably in two days or so," Tommy replied as he studied him and Dream felt his heart plummet. He slammed his fist on the ground, further startling everyone.

  
"That's not soon enough!" Dream growled and Tommy glared at him.

  
"Who the hell are _you_? You think it's easy taking on an entire fortress? Especially when we don't know much about this place?" Tommy ground out and Dream glared at him.

  
"Don't mind him," Wilbur spoke up and Dream snarled, glaring over at him. He didn't like Wilbur speaking on his behalf like he was a child. Wilbur glared back before focusing his gaze on Tommy, "His lover was locked up in a torture room of sorts and he might die if we don't get him out before two days..."

  
Tommy's glare disappeared immediately and his mouth fell open in shock, "Oh...well don't worry I'm sure we can save her!"

  
Dream could swear he heard Fundy snort but Dream hissed out, "It's a _he_ and he's not my lover!"

  
"Yet," Fundy added and Dream glared at him. This was not the time for amusement!

  
Tommy's face wrinkled, not quite in disgust but like he tasted something sour, "Oh....well then...."

  
"We have to try and escape before two days," Dream repeated again with a frown, "I can't wait on Techno to come and I don't think I can hold back my recklessness anymore."

  
" _Dream_..." Skeppy warned and Dream turned his glare on him.

  
"I can't wait around when there's a high probability that George will die if I do nothing. George is not dying here and definitely not because of something _I_ did," Dream growled out and his eyes narrowed, making Skeppy break out in a sweat from fear, "And you can say what you want, Skeppy, but you'd be the same as me if it were Bad in the sweatbox."

  
Skeppy's eyes widened and Tommy asked with a brow raised, "Sweatbox?"

  
"It's a room here," Fundy explained quietly, looking at the ground, "Built onto the fortress above a lava lake..."

  
Tommy's eyes lit up in understanding and he frowned, "Oh jeez...what a bunch of psychopaths..."

  
"I still can't believe Techno sent two children here," Wilbur sighed, placing a hand on his face.

  
"I'm not a child!" Tommy shouted, glaring at Wilbur, "And I can handle myself just fine! We're here to help you!"

  
"Well the more people the better," Skeppy said, shrugging his shoulder.

  
"And I agree with this green boy here!" Tommy pointed at Dream who rose a eyebrow at him.

  
"Boy?" Dream asked tensely and Tommy rolled his eyes, grinning.

  
"Green man then. We can try to escape tomorrow! How's that?" Tommy asked with a growing smirk on his face. Fundy and Skeppy looked at him like he had grown a horn on his head and Dream's eyes widened in shock.

  
"Tommy, you...." Wilbur's eye twitched in annoyance and he seemed physically incapable of expressing his exasperation. 

  
"What? We can find a way out of the cells and break everyone out. Then BAM! We fight and kill those annoying fucks off!" Tommy grinned brightly and Dream let out a few chuckles of disbelief. And people thought _he_ was reckless.

  
"I like the sound of that," Dream muttered darkly and Tommy's eyes widened, "But we have to be a bit more careful than that. If we're caught they won't hesitate to hurt someone."

  
"They notice things too....like who's closest to who," Fundy added just as darkly, his eyes showing his seriousness, "So they'd probably punish that guy that came with you if we're caught."

  
Tommy's shoulders tensed immediately, "Then we'll make sure _not_ to fail."

  
Dream felt himself admiring his confidence a little but then George's face flashed through his mind and he suddenly felt nauseous. No....overconfidence leads to disaster. And that won't happen again.

  
Then Dream remembered Ranboo and how the others described him. Dream's eyes widened as he remembered them saying he might have a connection to Endermen and that he was hiding abilities from the pillagers, "Ranboo...."

  
The others turned to him in surprise and in Tommy's case, confusion, before Skeppy's eyes widened, "Right....Ranboo might be able to break us out of the cells. He said he could but I'm not entirely sure what he meant by that...."

  
"We need a way to talk to him..." Wilbur frowned as he glanced down the hall again, "But we're not even sure if they'll be choosing anyone today...though they haven't missed a day before..."

  
"Wait, who's Ranboo? And what do you mean?" Tommy asked in confusion. The others quickly filled him in while Dream ignored that and focused on the lock to their cells, studying it. It wasn't impossible to pick but the problem was they had nothing to pick it with...

  
"T-That's amazing!" Tommy commented, his eyes wide, "There's actually a person like that?!"

  
"Yeah...Tubbo's in the same hall with him so they probably already met," Wilbur said with a smile forming on his face, "If we really are going crazy and trying to break out tomorrow then the others need to know as well."

  
"So we need to spread the word for sure," Fundy sighed, "But what if they don't choose a group today? Even then...they'll probably be monitoring us even closer than before after what happened. We probably couldn't have this conversation in detail with any of the others then..."

  
"You're right...." Skeppy groaned, "But if we wait.... _ugh_...."

  
"If only we had a way to pick the locks," Dream muttered angrily, still studying the lock like it spit at him. Tommy looked around his cell to see if he could find anything useful but he came up empty. 

  
Then he remembered something and gasped, earning the others' attention as he began digging frantically in the pockets of his jeans. Wilbur rose an eyebrow at him, "Tommy?"

  
"I have bobby pins! I forgot all about them!" Tommy said with a big smug grin on his face as he pulled out two bobby pins from his back pocket.

  
"Oh my God!" Skeppy gasped, his eyes lighting up. Dream felt a sense of hope coming to strangle him again and he felt a grin forming on his own face.

  
"Wait...why do you have oddly convenient bobby pins?" Fundy asked with a wide-eyed incredulous look on his face.

  
Tommy's grin fell slightly and he looked a tad bit embarrassed, "Tubbo talked me into letting him put bobby pins in my hair to see what it looked like but that...that was the other night! We were just playing around!"

  
Wilbur threw his head back and laughed loudly as Tommy scowled, turning red in embarrassment, "Good going Tubbo!"

  
"That is great but..." Skeppy trailed off, his smile dimming in seriousness, "Those could easily break before we're able to get everyone out so..."

  
An idea formed in Dream's head, "What if I picked my out and went to talk to the others? I could sneak around and inform them of our ideas in detail that way they can be ready for sure."

  
Fundy's eyes lit up, "That sounds good but are you sure you can sneak around without getting caught?"

  
"It's what I've done most of my life," Dream answered seriously, his eyes darkening in a way that the others knew he wasn't kidding. Tommy shivered at the waves of intimidation he felt coming off Dream, "I know how to be quick too. I can pull it off if it's just me sneaking around."

  
"I'm sure you have a couple of hours anyway. That's _if_ the pillagers come to choose people," Skeppy replied just as seriously. Dream nodded and turned to Tommy.

  
"I can go now and be quick. I'll go to Ranboo first to tell him about our escape idea and see how he can help then I'll tell Sapnap and the others before hurrying back," Dream explained and Tommy looked at him in confusion, "So can I have the bobby pins?"

  
Tommy wordlessly handed them over and Dream immediately got to work trying to pick the lock. Skeppy shifted around anxiously, "Just please be careful Dream. I really don't want anyone else to be punished."

  
"I'll stick to the shadows don't worry," Dream replied with effort and his eyes narrowed in concentration, "I'm more determined than ever. They won't catch me sneaking around."

  
"Seems like they don't care much for us right now," Fundy sighed, sounding anxious himself, "By the way Tommy, is that why the pillagers were gone for so long? They were trying to catch you and Tubbo?"

  
"Some of them chased us for hours, yeah," Tommy shrugged, "We did that to study their intentions and how they moved."

  
"You sounded like Techno just then," Wilbur teased but his eyes betrayed a sense of proudness and disbelief. Tommy scoffed.

  
Dream huffed as he failed yet again to successfully pick the lock. He was being extra careful, praying that he wouldn't accidentally break the bobby pins. Then as he tried again for the third time, his eyes widened as he heard a successful click.

  
"Third times a charm," Fundy said with a small smile. Dream pocketed the bobby pins and went to open the door. He looked towards Skeppy, who was practically chewing his nails from nerves. Dream grinned, "Don't worry. I'll be in and out, as fast as I'm able to."

  
"Good luck..." Wilbur murmured, his expression serious. Dream nodded and slowly opened the door, stepping out with his gaze pinned on the stairway. He carefully closed the cell door behind him without a sound and stalked towards the staircase.

  
The other random prisoners that saw him gawked at him but Dream put a finger to his lips to gesture that they should keep quiet and not rat him out. He was relieved when they turned their heads, acting as if they hadn't seen anything. 

  
Dream clung to the wall as he ascended the staircase and squatted to observe the surroundings as he made it to the top steps. He glanced around and after not seeing any immediate pillagers, he snuck to the right and practically glided down the right staircase.

  
Once he made it in sight to the hall of cells his eyes widened. He glanced around at the prisoners and was shocked at the emotion he felt welling in his chest when he caught the familiar gaze of Bad.

  
" _Dream_!" Bad choked out, already tearing up and Dream shuffled over to his cell as quickly as he could. As he got closer he noticed Antfrost sharing a cell with Bad and Nikki was in a cell with an insanely tall guy. His eyes widened at the differently colored skin and eyes. That was Ranboo?!

  
Dream turned and clutched the bars. Bad immediately crawled towards him, "Bad, are you okay?"

  
"Y-Yeah but what the muffin are _you_ doing here?!" Bad gasped out and Antfrost got closer too, looking stunned.

  
"I picked the lock of my cell. I came because I needed to tell you guys something, especially Ranboo," Dream explained, smiling at Bad. He was grateful it seemed his black-clad friend was truly alright.

  
"What...?" The man in the cell with Nikki muttered, his eyes widening, "You're Dream...?"

  
"That'd be me..." Dream nodded at him, glancing off to the side to see a blonde boy studying him curiously, "And that must be Tubbo...thank you for forcing Tommy to put bobby pins in his hair."

  
Tubbo's eyes widened like he was startled before he smiled brightly, "No problem! Wow, I didn't know he kept them! That's useful!"

  
"Yeah no kidding," Dream chuckled before shaking his head, "Anyways, Ranboo you said you had a way to get everyone out of their cells right? Skeppy mentioned that."

  
Ranboo blinked in surprise, "Uh, yeah...it's hard to explain...."

  
"But you can do it? For sure?" Dream questioned, narrowing his eyes at him. Ranboo gulped and nodded after a moment of hesitation, "Good, because we need you to get everyone out of their cells tomorrow."

  
Everyone gasped except Tubbo, who rose an eyebrow, "What?!"

  
"We can't wait for Techno to come," Dream muttered for the thousandth time, "George might die before then. We need your help to escape. If you can for _sure_ get everyone out of their cells, then everyone can fight off the pillagers."

  
"I-I can do that but..." Ranboo trailed off, biting his lip nervously, "It'll take a little bit of time and who knows if everyone will actually fight."

  
"They will....maybe not all of the random prisoners but those of us that are skilled enough can do this," Dream said seriously.

  
"And you're going to tell the others to get them ready...?" Nikki asked and smiled hesitantly when Dream nodded.

  
"I'm going to sneak in and tell Sapnap right after I talk to you guys," Dream explained as he glanced at the staircase with narrowed eyes.

  
"I don't know about this..." Antfrost said shakily, rubbing his arm, "There's so many things that can go wrong and no offense Ranboo but this plan relies heavily on you..."

  
Ranboo swallowed, "I-I know...but I think I can do this..."

  
"I'm _sure_ you can!" Tubbo grinned brightly, startling him, "You just finished telling me about that amazing power of yours and I can't believe it until I see it!"

  
"What power?" Dream asked curiously, studying Ranboo, who shifted nervously.

  
"It's like silk touch," Ranboo whispered, "I can use the abnormal strength in my hands to pull out the bricks on the floor and place them back all in the perfect shape....I can do that to most things..."

  
Dream's eyes widened and his mouth dropped opened. He felt at a loss for words for a moment, "Y-You can really do that?"

  
"Yeah, I can," Ranboo nodded seriously, "I can open up a hole for me to climb through and then I can use my hands to break the locks apart."

  
"Holy shit," Dream gasped, stunned momentarily.

  
"Language," Bad muttered and Dream found himself surprised by how much he missed Bad in that moment, "This seems like it can work. I trust Dream and Ranboo."

  
"Same!" Nikki smiled, "And Tubbo seems pretty positive about it too."

  
"I am," Tubbo smirked, his nose wrinkling in a cute way when he did, "This plan could work if everyone gives their 100% all!"

  
Tubbo then glanced at the random prisoners, "And don't worry about the other prisoners. When the time comes and they see us all fighting hard, I'm sure they'll make their choice to fight back just as hard as us!"

  
"You really think so?" Bad asked curiously, "A lot of them seem to have given up hope of escaping. They might be too scared."

  
Dream frowned, "This'll sound mean but I'm not waiting on them to act if that's the case."

  
"I'm positive they'll fight back once they see us all fighting with all we got," Tubbo said seriously, some emotion in his eyes as he looked at the ground, "I know how hard it is to fight back against captors when you have suppressed fear towards them, but it's easier when you actually have people to fight back with."

  
The room went awkwardly silent at his words as they all looked at him with wide eyes. Antfrost frowned, feeling a pant in his chest, "How do you....?"

  
Tubbo smiled a smile that didn't come close to reaching his eyes as he pulled his knees to his chest, "Let's just say I've been in a situation similar to this before."

  
Dream's eyes widened at the anger he felt building for this boy he literally just met. He seemed too cheerful and sweet. He'd been through something similar he said and it was obvious he wasn't kidding. He'd been through something like that and yet he still willingly came with his friend to help them escape. Tubbo had Dream's whole respect for that.

  
"I'll definitely get us out tomorrow. What time?" Ranboo growled, surprising everyone and startling Dream out of his thoughts. Ranboo appeared to be angry after hearing Tubbo's words as well.

  
"I think we should do it early tomorrow morning, before they bring us food," Dream answered and Ranboo nodded.

  
"I can do that. Just...just tell the others I'm doing it and tell them to be prepared to fight. I don't want to be the reason anyone gets hurt," Ranboo muttered and Dream frowned in understanding, his chest aching as he thought of George.

  
"I need to go," Dream whispered and Bad frowned, grabbing onto his sleeve, "I need to hurry and tell Sapnap then make it back to my cell. Just in case."

  
"Okay...and Dream? Can you...can you tell Skeppy I love him and..." Bad trailed off, his eyes filling with tears but he smiled, "And tell him I'll see him tomorrow?"

  
Dream blinked before smirking, "Of course I will."

  
"Good luck Dream. Be careful," Nikki murmured worriedly. Dream nodded at her and then smiled at the others before pulling away and stalking back towards the staircase as fast as he could.

  
Dream sucked in a calming breath as he checked to make sure the coast was clear before he snuck towards the left staircase. He felt a little more urgency which made him take two steps at a time. He ignored the random prisoners and rushed straight towards the back where he could make out Karl in a cell.

  
"Oh my God!" Karl gasped when he saw him and Dream saw another male lean out beside him, both their expressions stunned, "Dream!"

  
" _Dream?!_ " 

  
Dream winced when he heard Sapnap's hoarse voice. He stopped and glanced at the cell across from Karl's. His eyes widened and his breath stuck in his throat at the sight of his best friend. His eyes were dark from lack of sleep and he was pale. His eyes were wide and Dream could see bruises marring his wrist along with dried blood on his hands like he'd been beating the walls or something. That's when he also noticed scratch-like marks on Sapnap's forearms and even on his cheeks.

  
"Sapnap...oh my God..." Dream gasped out as he rushed over and squatted down in front of him, grabbing the metal bars, "What happened to you?"

  
Sapnap followed his eyesight and winced like he was ashamed, "Um..."

  
"He did that to himself the other day when George...." A male voice trailed off quietly, sounding upset. Dream figured that one must be Quackity.

  
"He was having panic attacks," Karl added just as quietly, "We've been trying our best to keep him calm but..."

  
Dream felt his heart drop into his feet as Sapnap continued to look away from him, "Sapnap....I'm so sorry...this is all my fault."

  
Sapnap's gaze pinned on him immediately, his eyes wide, "No it's not! I...I don't blame you Dream, it's those stupid motherf-"

  
Sapnap cut himself off, his hands shaking, "How are you _here_ Dream...?"

  
"I was able to pick the lock. Look, before I run out of time there's something I need to tell you guys," Dream frowned when Sapnap looked at him confused, upset, and wary all in one.

  
"What is it?" Karl asked, tilting his head.

  
"Ranboo will be breaking everyone out of their cells tomorrow morning. It'll be early, way before they bring us breakfast," Dream informed them and watched Quackity's eyes widen. 

  
"What?!" Karl gasped and Dream focused on Sapnap when he noticed his friend's eyes widened and his fingers curl into fists.

  
Dream hurriedly explained about how Tommy and Tubbo were sent by Techno and about Ranboo's ability. He went on how Ranboo will be able to get them out of their cells and then everyone can fight back on the pillagers.

  
"Are we really doing this?!" Quackity demanded, his eyes lighting up in hope.

  
"We have to," Dream growled, gripping the bars tighter, "For George. We have to help him and we _need_ to get outta here."

  
"We know where the weapons are and Sapnap knows where George is," Karl nodded seriously, his eyes also lighting up in hope.

  
Dream nodded again before turning to Sapnap, who'd been shaky and quiet this whole time. He flinched back when Sapnap pinned his stare at him, "I _can't_ do this again Dream....not unless you promise me that we can pull this off."

  
"I promise on my life Sapnap," Dream answered seriously, staring into his eyes to show off how serious he was. 

  
"No. Promise on _George's_ life. On mine..." Sapnap frowned, his eyes finally betraying how scared he still was. Dream was momentarily taken back at his words.

  
"I...I promise on George's life and on your life. I'm getting us out of here," Dream replied and Sapnap's shoulders relaxed slightly.

  
Sapnap looked over at Karl and Quackity, who both grinned supportively, "Then I'm in...once Ranboo gets us out and we get weapons, I'll lead us to George."

  
Dream felt relieved that Sapnap was looking much calmer and determined, "Great....and once this is all over....why don't we do the same to them?"

  
"Huh?" Sapnap blinked as he looked over at Dream. His eyes widened at the dark look in Dream's eyes.

  
"After this is over we should throw the pillagers in the sweatbox and leave them to rot," Dream smiled and Karl shivered, "Like they did to you and George."

  
Quackity and Karl both shared a look but Sapnap, after getting over his initial surprise, smiled back, "That actually sounds nice dude."

  
"I knew you'd say that..." Dream chuckled.

  
"I don't know guys....wouldn't that be stooping to their level?" Karl asked hesitantly and froze when Dream glanced over at them.

  
"After all they've done to everyone? That doesn't come _close_ to their level," Dream muttered and Sapnap nodded in tense agreement. Karl immediately quieted, "I need to hurry back now, just in case. Be ready for tomorrow, okay?"

  
"We will be....just be careful," Sapnap sighed, his nerves returning. He shoved his shaking hands out of sight and Dream frowned. He'd help Sapnap get better once they were out of this hellhole.

  
"See you tomorrow," Dream grinned slightly, trying to show confidence without it being overconfidence. Then he turned and stalked towards the staircase, taking deep breaths.

  
He was sure of it. Things would change tomorrow.

* * *

George opened his eyes, unsure of when he closed them and how long they'd been closed. He was laying on his side on the warm ground. He was already pretty much covered in sweat and he felt uncomfortable; it was like he was in a constant state of nausea and his throat hurt from how dry it felt. He also kept falling in and out of sleep near constantly, like he didn't have energy to keep himself awake for long.

  
He sighed as he shifted weakly. It'd already been a day and he wasn't sure how much more he could take. He felt all weak and shaky. George never felt more embarrassed than he did when he had to take off his pants just to keep himself from overheating. It seemed like a useless action anyway. He felt mortified at the idea of someone finding him there in nothing but his boxers but there wasn't much he could do about it.

  
George never hated his body more than he did now. He felt so weak. His stomach finally stopped growling hours ago but he couldn't stop shaking and he could bring himself to stay sitting up for very long. It'd only been little over a day and he....

  
Frustrated, George pushed his face into his hoodie and found himself desperately missing his friends. How were they? Were they okay? Nothing happened afterwards, right? George hated how thinking of that made his heart race even more than it already was due to the heat and nausea he felt.

  
Just two more days, he could do two more days. Surely he wasn't _that_ weak, right? 

  
Yet as his eyes closed against his will and he felt more energy drain from him, forcing him into another dreamless sleep, George knew he was fighting a losing battle.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading!! I wrote this a little longer than usual but a lot needed to happen for the next chapter! Dream got pretty dark in the chapter...he's running out of fucks to give.👀 
> 
> Also, I loveee Tubbo's character and I feel so bad for him and Sapnap here! UGH!😭
> 
> As usual, let me know in the comments if you have any questions! I love reading each and every one of your comments. I also like replying to them, haha! 😌


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of escaping is at hand; Dream and Sapnap shock everyone with their ruthlessness and more surprises occur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I wanted to get this update out semi-early because I have exciting weekend plans with my best friends! Thank you to everyone who is continuously supporting my story, I appreciate it so much! 😘😊

Dream managed to get back to his cell with no problems. He smirked when Skeppy let out the most dramatic sigh of relief he’d ever heard when he and the others caught sight of him. Dream chuckled as he opened his cell door, walked inside the cell, and closed it behind him.

  
“I am _so_ glad you didn’t get caught,” Skeppy sighed out as he rubbed his face with both hands, his shoulders slumping with relief. 

  
"Yeah, how did it go?" Fundy asked so quickly he almost spoke over Skeppy. 

  
"Did you see Tubbo?" Tommy questioned just as quickly and Dream blinked at them firing off questions.

  
"It went just as planned and yes, I saw Tubbo. He's okay," Dream assured and nodded towards Tommy, who seemed a little relieved about something.

  
"So Ranboo can break us out?" Wilbur asked quietly, staring at Dream.

  
"Yeah, he can use this ability he has to break the locks," Dream explained and he felt a thrill of anticipation rush through him, "He'll do it early tomorrow morning before they bring food for us..."

  
Fundy blinked, stunned, "Well thats...pretty soon."

  
"It's actually perfect," Skeppy said as his eyes widened and he looked at Dream, "They won't be as active and some of them will even be asleep then. Too slow to react to the situation properly."

  
"Yup. That's what I was thinking too," Dream smirked. Then his eyes lit up as he remembered something, "Oh and Skeppy?"

  
"Yeah?" Skeppy rose an eyebrow.

  
"Bad says he loves you and he'll see you tomorrow," Dream grinned as he watched Skeppy's eyes widen again, his cheeks flushing.

  
Then he chuckled when Skeppy eyed the ground with a silly grin forming on his face. Wilbur spoke up again, his voice sounding lighter this time, "Well, I guess we need to get some sleep if we wanna be prepared for tomorrow."

  
"Exactly what I was thinking," Fundy said with a small smile as he stretched out his legs and leaned against the wall, "I can't believe this is _happening_. We're really fighting tomorrow."

  
"What about these other prisoners?" Tommy asked suddenly and they all turned to look at him. He was narrowing his eyes as he studied the other random prisoners, "Should we tell them? They'll have to fight with us tomorrow after all."

  
"Right....will they though?" Skeppy pondered out loud as his brow furrowed.

  
"We'll tell them tomorrow as they're let out," Dream told Tommy who stared at him before shrugging with indifference, "And they'll fight....or at least Tubbo seems to think so. He's pretty positive they'll fight back once they see us doing it."

  
Tommy's eyes immediately cut back to him and Dream blinked back at the seriousness in his gaze, "Tubbo seemed fine, right?"

  
Even Wilbur raised his eyebrow at the random question and Dream nodded slowly, "Yeah, he's alright. Trust me. He seems like a pretty cheerful and positive boy."

  
Tommy didn't say anything to that as he looked a bit lost in thought but Wilbur chuckled, "That's Tubbo alright. He's a bit crazy too though."

  
"I believe it," Dream grinned before remembering something he hadn't told them yet, "Oh and I almost forgot. Once Ranboo lets everyone out Karl said he could lead us to where the weapons are stored when the pillagers put them away."

  
"So could I," Fundy nodded as he also grinned, "It'll be so good to see everyone, ugh. I'm gonna fight like hell tomorrow!"

  
"I second that," Skeppy cheered before yawning once, "Let's get some shut-eye. We need as much energy as possible."

Dream agreed with that, leaning backwards until he rested as comfortably as he could against the wall. He smirked to himself as he thought about the coming events tomorrow. He was sure without being too overconfident that everything would work out somehow. He'd make sure of it. Just as Fundy said, he was going to fight like hell, nothing getting in his way as he gave back not even half the pain they inflicted on him and his friends.

They won't be expecting it. They don't even have guards posted in any of the hall of cells. They were overconfident, just as he had been, and this time that was going to be _their_ downfall.

* * *

Ranboo shifted uneasily for the third time in less than two minutes. He was restless as the hours passed and couldn't muster the courage or willpower to fall asleep. He glanced at Bad and Antfrost across the way, both of whom were not fully asleep either but instead had their eyes closed as they rested.

  
Nikki was the only one that seemed to be resting easily yet even _she_ wasn't in a deep sleep. Ranboo believed that most of them probably weren't able to fully fall asleep. He glanced over at his side where Tubbo, being the only one _actually_ asleep, was leaning against the bars by his side. They'd been talking almost non-stop since they met. Tubbo seemed very curious about him and not in the fear-inducing way Ranboo was used to.

  
Tubbo appeared to be a very unique individual; the way he asked personal questions yet somehow knowing when to back off or change the subject was kind of incredible. He seemed like he was really good at reading the emotions in other people and adjusting his tone as well as his expressions when needed. It was weird to see that in someone who looked like they were 14. He wondered how old Tubbo actually was. He definitely couldn't be older than him.

  
"Ranboo...?"

  
Ranboo glanced over at Nikki as she slowly stretched her limbs. She was blinking tiredly over at him, "You're not resting?"

  
"I can't....the nerves..." Ranboo trailed off and Nikki smiled sadly, nodding her head without asking him to elaborate. Ranboo loved that about her; how she was such a caring sister-figure for everyone she met. Or at least, that's what it seemed like to Ranboo so far, "It's almost time to start..."

  
Nikki's eyes grew wide, "Oh...how long until we start exactly?"

  
"It's almost dawn so...an hour or two," Ranboo told her and her smile tightened as she looked from Ranboo to Tubbo then to Ant and Bad. Ranboo hated to see her so worried so he smiled gently, "Just try to get some more rest, okay? I'll wake you up soon."

  
Her lips pursed but she didn't argue, resting her head against the wall and closing her eyes again with a long sigh. Ranboo allowed his eyes to close as well as he tried to reign in his growing anxiety. He just had to remind himself that he could definitely help the others and then they'd be out. 

  
Ranboo quickly ran through everything he needed to do in his head. Then he kept replaying his part in this plan over and over again before he began to get a headache. As he obsessed over going through every detail and possibility in his head, he realized that an hour and a half had already past.

  
His heart picked up in pace and let out a long calming breath. It was time to start. Ranboo jumped when he felt something grab onto the sleeve of his black coat. He glanced over and met Tubbo's gaze. Tubbo smiled, "You okay?"

  
"Uh....ask me again after this," Ranboo replied hesitantly and Tubbo giggled.

  
"Okay I _will_ ," Tubbo's smile widened and Ranboo felt jealous of his positivity that everything would work out, "Time to wake everyone up, yeah?"

  
"Yeah," Ranboo nodded, already turning to wake up Nikki. She immediately awoke at the first shake.

  
Tubbo, however, startled everyone when he said loudly, "Antfrost! Bad! Time to wake up!"

  
Ant jumped up, his eyes snapping open and Bad gasped, shaking his head when he moved too quickly. Tubbo simply laughed even when some of the random prisoners began grumbling at the disturbance.

  
"Oh, it's time..." Antfrost sighed, his hands shaking. Ranboo understood how he felt.

  
"Yup! I can't wait to see Ranboo's powers!" Tubbo exclaimed as his blue eyes lit up. Ranboo blinked at him and when he saw his childlike excitement he laughed as he stood.

  
"Well, it might be underwhelming so don't get _too_ excited," Ranboo muttered under his breath but Tubbo simply stood as close to Ranboo as the bars allowed when Ranboo squatted in front of the cell door.

  
Ranboo hear Nikki shuffle closer to him for support and Ranboo let out another calming breath despite his racing heart as he used his abnormal strength to dig his fingers into the crevices of the nether brick floor. Tubbo gasped when Ranboo's fingers dug into the ground more and, once he was far enough down, he pulled the block up in a perfect shape.

  
"Holy muffin!" Bad gasped and Antfrost's eyes widened significantly. Ranboo immediately placed the block to the side and felt calm wash over him at the habit of moving blocks. 

  
"That's _amazing_!" Tubbo said in a genuine tone and he also sounded shocked, "I can't believe I'm seeing this."

  
"Me either," Antfrost commented under his breath and Nikki giggled. Ranboo didn't say anything as he dug out two more bricks, placing them away randomly until he had a decent hole big enough to squeeze through.

  
Ranboo immediately squeezed into the hole and dragged himself out to the other side just under the bars. It was uncomfortable but not unbearable and Ranboo felt relieved once he was on the other side. He glanced at Nikki, "You can crawl through too Nikki."

  
Nikki blinked at him but nodded, going to follow what he did. Ranboo helped her up once she was close enough, "Thanks Ranboo!"

  
"No problem. Now..." Ranboo glanced around at the cell locks, his fingers almost shaking from the nerves. He realized a lot of the random prisoners were staring at him in a mixture of awe, confusion, shock, and in some cases, fear. He ignored that for now, despite the pang in his chest.

  
"Let's hurry," Bad whispered as he eyed the staircase desperately, "There's a lot of locks to break. Just do your best, Ranboo."

  
"I will," Ranboo nodded, already breaking out into a sweat as he grabbed the lock to Bad and Antfrost's cell before literally putting pressure and prying it from the cell door with a cracking sound that sounded louder than it probably was. 

  
Antfrost and Bad walked out slowly, like they were walking in a dream, their eyes wide. Ranboo wasted no time turning around and he broke the lock to Tubbo's cell. Tubbo beamed at him as he walked out, "Awesome Ranboo! See? I _knew_ you could do it!"

  
Ranboo blinked at the small boy before smiling, feeling a bit calmer just from his words. He shook his head and they followed him as he went around and broke the rest of the locks as the random prisoners all began murmuring in a panic.

  
"Don't worry! We're getting you out of here and then we're getting the others out!" Tubbo kept explaining as Bad and Nikki joined in trying to calm them down. Antfrost just kept watching the staircase warily.

  
Once every lock was broken and all the prisoners were out of their cells, Ranboo immediately headed for the staircase as he heard Bad tell the others, "Don't panic, okay? Just stay quiet and stick with us. We'll do the rest!"

  
There was still some unease and panic in the random prisoners but with Bad and Tubbo's continued reassurance, they followed along. Ranboo checked the surroundings once he made it to the top of the staircase. He didn't hear much noise or see anyone and he was thankful for that. 

  
Ranboo then rushed down the center staircase and wasn't all that surprised to see Dream already awake like he hadn't slept at all, standing abruptly in his cell. Ranboo rushed to his cell first and was just starting to break the lock when Skeppy and the others stirred.

  
"Oh holy shit," Fundy gasped, "I forgot how fucking _tall_ you were Ranboo, you scared the _hell_ outta me."

  
"Sorry," Ranboo chuckled as he pried the lock from Dream's cell. The others caught up to where he was and he heard Bad suck in a breath.

  
"Skeppy!" Bad cried out, nearly plowing down Nikki and Tubbo on his way to the cell by Ranboo's side. Skeppy immediately sprung up, eyes wide, as he locked onto the black-clad male.

  
"Oh my God, _Bad_!!" Skeppy near-shouted as he pushed past Dream to get out of the cell. Ranboo almost didn't move out of the way of the door in time. Skeppy immediately grabbed Bad close and they were both crying as they hugged.

  
"Tubbo!" 

  
"Tommy!" Tubbo cheered as he threw himself at the cell of another blonde boy. Ranboo decided to move along and break the lock to Fundy and Wilbur's cell.   
The others were trying to keep their chatting low as Ranboo went around breaking the locks. Nikki hugged Wilbur immediately as he left the cell and he chuckled. Dream gasped when Bad finally parted from Skeppy with tears in his eyes and he jumped on Dream for a hug. Dream laughed a little and Skeppy smiled, wiping the tears off his face.

  
Ranboo shuffled backwards as he broke the last lock and Antfrost was doing his best to calm the random prisoners that came out of their cells, looking lost and confused. He was thankful when Dream finally noticed and stepped way from Bad, "Listen, we're getting out of here. We're getting _everyone_ out of here. I hope that you'll help us but regardless I'm not waiting around for you if you decide to be cowardly."

  
Bad smacked Dream's arm, "Don't be so mean."

  
Dream shrugged, eyeing some of the random prisoners' reactions, "I'm just telling the truth. I want us _all_ to escape but we have to stick together and _fight_ together for this to work properly."

  
"Dream's right!" Tubbo chimed in, smiling warmly at the strangers he didn't know. Ranboo found himself smiling back at Tubbo before he realized it. Tubbo just had that effect, "And we won't leave you behind!"

  
Dream's gaze went to Ranboo, who stiffened, "Thanks Ranboo. Let's get the rest of us out...then Karl will take us to the weapons."

  
"Gotcha," Ranboo nodded as he turned to the staircase.

  
"And try to be as quiet as possible, "Wilbur advised everyone. Ranboo was amused when a lot of the random prisoners nodded. Ranboo didn't wait around any longer and walked up the center staircase.

  
He gasped however, when he came into sight of two pillagers coming down the steps from the platform warily. Their eyes widened as they locked, "What the fuck?!"

  
Ranboo flinched back instinctively and gasped when Dream was suddenly sprinting past him, punching one pillager before yanking the sword out his hand. Ranboo saw the second pillager panic and swing his sword at Dream so Ranboo acted immediately and slammed the pillager to the ground. The pillager's sword clamored to the ground with a loud clang.

  
"Oh God!" Fundy gasped and Ranboo turned to see the others staring wide eyed behind them. 

  
"Ranboo, hurry. Go let the others out! I don't know how but maybe they heard something," Dream gestured to the two pillagers on the ground, "Me and the others will handle them while you do that."

  
"O-Okay," Ranboo breathed out shakily as he backed up and practically jumped down the staircase to the right. The random prisoners there jumped in shock but Ranboo ignored them as he ran to the end of the hall where the others were.

  
"Ranboo! You're actually here!" Karl gasped excitedly and Quackity stood abruptly. Ranboo frantically tore the lock off their cell loudly.

  
"You look panicked," Sapnap's voice reached his ears, "What's going on?"

  
"The others are fighting a couple of pillagers. More might be coming," Ranboo explained as he opened the door for Karl and Quackity, who immediately shuffled out before turning to tear the lock off Sapnap's cell, "We have to move quickly."

  
"Dream's fighting?" Sapnap asked calmly though his eyes flashed. Ranboo nodded, gasping when Sapnap threw open the door to his cell and ran out without a second thought. Karl and Quackity gasped before following after him.

  
Ranboo just watched them leave for a moment before he focused on the panicking random prisoners still locked in their cells. He still had a job to do.

* * *

Dream used the sword he stole from the pillager to run it through the other on the ground without blinking. Both pillagers had been trying to struggle against him and take the weapon back from him.

  
"Dream!"

  
Dream immediately whirled around and gasped when a black and white blur rammed into him for a strong hug. He could recognize that raven hair anywhere, "Sapnap!"

  
"I can't believe how easily you just killed that guy!" Tommy commented as he made a disgusted face at the two dead pillagers at Dream's feet.

  
"Kill or be killed," Wilbur shrugged as he patted Tommy's shoulder. Everyone turned when Karl and Quackity came running up the steps, panting like they ran a marathon but Dream knew it was just partly them panicking.

  
"We need to move on _now_ ," Dream said as Sapnap parted from the hug, looking calmer, "Karl, Fundy....lead the way to the weapons?"

  
"Sure," Karl nodded seriously and Fundy pushed past Nikki and Wilbur to be in front of the group with Karl.

  
" _Wait_ , where's Ranboo?" Tubbo asked loudly, looking around with narrowed eyes.

  
"He's letting the last of the prisoners out. He'll catch up," Quackity explained as Dream began moving behind Karl and Fundy. The others slowly shuffled behind them in a big group line.

  
"Just keep your eyes open," Sapnap warned everyone as he looked over his shoulder, "More will _definitely_ be coming."

  
"Reassuring...." Antfrost shivered and Bad frowned, patting his shoulder from where was pressed up against Skeppy's side. Skeppy seemed unable to let Bad leave his side like he had to be touching him at all times.

  
Dream tensed when the platform came into view and froze for a second when the three pillagers that were working there turned and saw them. Dream wasted no time bulldozing past Fundy and Karl, swinging his sword like a demon released from hell. 

  
He barely registered Sapnap suddenly by his side and he was so wrapped up in his fight that he didn't even notice when Sapnap grabbed a sword from one of the three pillagers and cut another's neck with it.

  
"Holy shit," Karl gasped out as he blinked in surprise. Sapnap and Dream stood side by side, already covered in blood, "You guys are on _fire_ or something....holy...you didn't waste any time."

  
"Language," Bad admonished and Skeppy couldn't help the almost hysterical giggle that left his mouth, pulling Bad tighter to his side. He couldn't believe he was finally holding Bad, after all.

  
"You two okay?" Wilbur asked seriously, raising a brow.

  
"What do you mean?" Sapnap retorted with a head tilt as Dream gestured to Karl and Fundy to keep leading on.

  
"You two just killed them so quickly....fighting like...I dunno. That was startling to say the least," Wilbur laughed a little and both Antfrost and Nikki were nodding by his side.

  
"They aren't getting away with what they've done," Dream spoke up in a low rumble as Sapnap frowned in agreement. The others went quiet while a lot of the random prisoners shifted in the background awkwardly, obviously frightened by Dream.

  
"Just c'mon," Fundy sighed, "We're almost to the weapon stuff..."

  
"Yeah it's just through this archway...." Karl pointed out as they both lead the others to left of the stairs by the platform. They went through an archway into a wide open room with nothing but chests and flat tables filled with items.

  
Dream's vision zeroed in on the table to the right corner where he noticed a familiar white mask. Dream gasped and zoomed over there, picking up the mask with semi-shaking hands before strapping it to his face immediately. An unusual amount of calmness overwhelmed him.

  
When he turned he blinked when he noticed some of the others tense while others just seemed surprised by his mask. Tommy rose an eyebrow, "Holy crap, what is that mask? That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen!"

  
"Not as weird as your face," Dream shrugged immaturely while Wilbur, Fundy, and Tubbo let out a startled laugh.

  
"I can't believe you still have that...." Sapnap smiled, something nostalgic in his eyes. Dream grinned a little.

  
"Ohhh they have my crossbow and our packs!" Bad cried out as he ran from Skeppy's side to grab it. Skeppy immediately followed him and grabbed a sword. Dream watched as the others went around grabbing weapons to arm themselves. Dream directed some of the random prisoners to grab weapons too after Dream grabbed his own pack, shrugging it on.

  
That's when he noticed Ranboo gliding into the room behind him with another crowd of random prisoners that he must have freed. Tubbo's eyes lit up, "Ranboo! Hey! Do you even need a sword to fight?!"

  
Ranboo jolted when everyone's eyes turned to him at Tubbo's shout. He smiled sheepishly at the ground, avoiding their stares, "Yes I still need a weapon to fight..."

  
"Well, here!" Tubbo grinned as he handed him a diamond sword. Ranboo blinked but grabbed it from him, "Oh and this is my best friend, Tommy! Tommy, this is Ranboo!"

  
Tommy looked both amused and surprised at the sight of Ranboo, "Hello Ranboo...you look sick. In the nice way."

  
Ranboo chuckled, "Thank you..."

  
"I have to agree with that," Sapnap grinned and Nikki giggled at the blatant embarrassment on Ranboo's face as he wasn't used to compliments.

  
"Guys!" Wilbur suddenly called out, making some of them jump. Dream eyes immediately went to Wilbur where he was watching outside the room, "More are coming. There's a lot this time!"

  
"Oh no..." Karl gulped, his hands shaking around his sword. Fundy just slapped his back while a lot of the random prisoners panicked.

  
"Those who aren't as confident about fighting grab a shield," Dream urged, his heart plummeting at the fact there wasn't enough shields to go around. He was briefly amused when Skeppy forced Bad to take a shield while Karl did the same to Nikki.

  
Dream pushed past Wilbur and exchanged a glance with him. Sapnap immediately followed and then his look darkened when the pillagers finally made it into view. Dream scowled, "Get ready! They're here!"

  
Dream ran forward immediately and noticed Sapnap at his side like he was in sync with him. He briefly heard Wilbur shuffling behind them. The pillagers' seemed surprised at how fast Dream and Sapnap came running at them.

  
They both gave them no chances as they swung their swords quickly. Dream growled as he remembered everything they'd done. One pillager managed to get a lucky hit on his bicep and gasped when Dream just pushed on, stabbing the pillager through the middle before turning to slash another pillager trying to sneak up on him.

  
Wilbur leapt into the fray with Fundy, Skeppy, and Quackity behind him. Dream noticed an arrow soar through the air and hit a pillager that didn't even get the chance to get close to Skeppy as they fought. He chuckled inwardly, knowing that was Bad that shot the arrow.

  
Dream didn't let himself get distracted as he fought, so he wasn't sure when Karl, Nikki, or Antfrost leapt into the fray. He _was_ surprised when Tommy slashed at a pillager that was trying to gang up on Dream. Tommy seemed to be quite skilled despite his age but Dream noticed he wasn't fighting to kill. He seemed content to deal blows and push them towards those that would finish the job instead.

  
Tubbo was following behind Tommy closely, fighting with an actual _smile_ on his face. Not an evil smile or anything, just a smile, and it baffled Dream for a second. And then Dream noticed that wherever Tubbo went, Ranboo was following. It was kind of cute.

  
" _Dream_!" Sapnap called and Dream startled, his eyes searching out his best friend. He gasped when he noticed him being surrounded by four pillagers. Dream growled and practically slid under the arm of one pillager trying to fight him and rushed forward, pushing back two of the four that was on Sapnap.

  
"You won't get away!" One of the pillagers spat at him as they crossed blades. Dream smiled darkly.

  
"I recall saying those same type of words to _you_ ," He growled and the pillager's eyes widened. Dream pushed him back and swung his sword, cutting across the pillager's abdomen. He looked away from the gore that followed, briefly feeling guilty that Tubbo, Tommy, or Ranboo might see that.

  
"Thanks Dream," Sapnap sighed out as Dream turned to check on him. Sapnap already killed the two that were bearing down on him, "We need to get to George."

  
"Why don't you two go ahead?" Wilbur called out, hearing what Sapnap said and Dream paused, glancing over to see there were still numerous pillagers fighting with the others and some of the random prisoners.

  
"Yeah we can handle _this_ much. Just hurry back!" Karl also called out, barely missing a hit from a pillager. Dream noticed Antfrost quickly take that one out.

  
"We will!" Sapnap called back before grabbing Dream's wrist, "C'mon!"

  
Dream didn't resist as he was pulled to the back of the platform. Sapnap let go of his wrist when more pillagers came swarming. Dream immediately jumped forward to stick his sword in the throat of the first one while Sapnap killed two others behind him without blinking.

  
They didn't stop running and Dream felt his heart racing out of his chest when a long staircase came into view. Sapnap yelled, "We're almost there. It's down here!"

  
Dream couldn't run fast enough and his eyes widened when a giant iron door with three latches came into view. Sapnap barely stopped in time, almost bulldozing into the door. He shakily undid all the latches and Dream impatiently shuffled behind him.

  
They were _this_ close to George. They _almost_ had him. Sapnap threw open the door and they both ran in before freezing at the sight that greeted them. George was lying on his side in nothing but his boxers. His otherwise porcelain pale skin was littered with red splotches here and there, mostly on his chest and thighs. His hair was almost damp with sweat and his eyes were closed.

  
"George!" Dream cried, immediately running over and falling to his knees beside the small male. Sapnap got to his knees right beside him. Dream quickly checked his pulse and felt immense relief that it was fine, albeit racing a little. He was also still breathing, thank God.

  
"He's unconscious?" Sapnap asked worriedly, shaking George's shoulder gently to try and rouse him, "Holy shit, his skin is _really_ warm..."

  
Dream noticed that George didn't wake up when Sapnap shook him and frowned worriedly, "We gotta get him outta here quickly. I'll carry him and you stay in front in case any pillagers show."

  
"Yeah, sounds like a good idea," Sapnap frowned, his eyes lighting up with anger, "Let's hurry back. I don't want to leave the others alone too long. We seemed to be handling ourselves pretty good but there's so many...at least some of the random prisoners were finally fighting back."

  
"Yeah..." Dream trailed off. Dream carefully grabbed George in his arms bridal style, wincing at how hot his skin felt. Sapnap scrambled to gather George's clothes and they both hightailed it out of the hot room.

  
Dream immediately breathed easier once they were out and Sapnap hurried in front of him, sword out. Dream tensed when three pillagers came into view at the top of the staircase, looking both panicked and enraged.

  
"Stop _now_!" One called out, already rushing forward to subdue them. Sapnap growled and ran forward to meet him with a new sort of confidence. The pillagers' eyes widened, obviously not expecting that from Sapnap.

  
That reaction was their undoing. Sapnap quickly disarmed and killed the first pillager before knocking out the second and slashing the third across the chest. Dream ignored the bodies that fell as they kept moving. Stopping wasn't ideal after all.

  
Once they were at the top of the stairs, Sapnap nearly collided with someone and pulled up his sword at once. However, it turned out to be Karl, "Sapnap! Thank God you guys found George!"

  
"Karl, holy shit! I almost _killed_ you!" Sapnap frowned, hugging him while Dream looked around warily, pulling George closer to him.

  
"We did it Sapnap!" Karl started as he rushed through his words, "When you and Dream left to get George, Wilbur pulled everyone together. We kept fighting when more came and Tubbo managed to get the other random prisoners to fight as well. It was so shocking!"

  
"Really?" Sapnap blinked, his eyes wide.

  
"And Quackity found the valuables room! That's where I just came out of!" Karl gushed as he smiled wide, "We _did_ it Sap!"

  
Dream's brow rose as his heart raced with anxiety, "Is everyone okay though? Are there more pillagers coming?"

  
"Not that we know of!" Karl grinned out, his eyes practically sparkling, "And it's all thanks to Ranboo! The pillagers weren't expecting _all_ of us to be out and since all of us were out they didn't stand a chance!"

  
Karl seemed to sober for a moment, a bit more serious, "There were a bunch of pillagers that surrendered though..."

  
Dream's eyes flashed and he glared, "Surrendered?"

  
"Yeah, Tommy and Wilbur are up at the platform with the others. They're watching them. Quackity should be packing up the pillager's valuables right now. Figured they won't need it now," Karl laughed a little.

  
Something went through Sapnap's expression but he smiled a little, "Well we need to get out of here once he's done."

  
Karl glanced down at George in Dream's arms and his eyes widened, "Oh my honk....his skin is all broke out!"

  
"I'm worried he might have had a heatstroke..." Dream confessed as he looked at down at George, "I need some bottles of water. Let's go meet up with the others!"

  
"Yeah, let's go. I'll grab Quackity," Karl frowned, already turning and rushing down the hall a little. Sapnap and Dream silently followed. Karl called for Quackity, who met them with an ecstatic grin and a pack on his back. His grin fell when he caught sight of George but Dream didn't stop running. He rushed past them and ran up the steps to the platform.

  
The various conversations came to a halt when he came into view. Dream noticed everyone standing around tensely and a group of pillagers on their knees in the middle. Ranboo gasped when he caught sight of George, "Holy crap, is he okay?!"

  
"No, he's not," Dream ground out as he glared at the pillagers that refused to make eye contact, "I need bottles of water, now!"

  
Dream didn't notice some of them already had packs on from the weapons room until Nikki came forward with several bottles of water, "I just need one or two. We don't want to waste water."

  
Sapnap came closer and his eyes crinkled in worry, "Are you planning on pouring water on him or something? That might not help since we're in the nether where its hot constantly."

  
"And he's not awake so he can't _drink_ water," Bad frowned as he pushed himself to be beside Sapnap and Dream with Skeppy on his heels, "How about using one water bottle just to bring some relief to his body temperature and then we'll treat him once we're in the overworld?"

  
Dream frowned, thinking over his options. What they said made sense. He nodded slowly as he uncapped a bottle of water and ever so gently pour little bits of water over his chest and neck. He was surprised when Bad brought out a little cloth and handed it over to Dream. He took it and began to wipe up the sweat on George's face gently. 

  
"What do we do with these guys?" Tommy spoke up, no hesitance to his tone, "You said there could be more in the area, right?"

  
"Possibly but we're not sure," Skeppy sighed.

  
"And they have a base in the overworld too. We're not sure where," Fundy added, "But since none of these guys will escape, they won't figure out what's happened for awhile."

  
"Maybe we should knock them out..." Nikki offered hesitantly. Dream looked over, his eyes unforgiving as he stared down the pillagers who were breaking out in a sweat.

  
" _No_. We're not leaving any chances. We're locking them in the sweatbox," Dream growled and felt satisfied when one or two of the pillagers looked up in a panic over that. Sapnap sneered.

  
"Oh _that_ got their attention," He said in a harsh tone. The others went quiet.

  
"Well, there _are_ locks on that door from what you've described," Wilbur spoke, looking as though he couldn't care less about the pillagers' fate, "Seems like the best bet to me. We'll be positive they won't be following after us for awhile."

  
"Yeah but...." Karl stopped speaking in the middle of his sentence, sighing loudly, unable to come up with a good argument.

  
One of the pillagers decided to speak up and it made a rush of rage wash over Dream, "Don't do that. You can just throw us in the cells."

  
"We can't because the locks are broken," Sapnap replied easily, like they were discussing the weather.

  
Dream realized that one of the pillagers in the small little group was the one that enjoyed their reactions when he announced George would be thrown in the sweatbox. Dream's eyes lit up, "Oh....its _you_. How ironic."

  
The pillager pointedly refused to look up, but he was sweating profusely. Dream grinned, gently putting George down beside Bad before walking over to squat in front of the pillager, "You're the one that _really_ liked it when Sapnap was begging you not to put George in the sweatbox right?"

  
Sapnap's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he glared down at the pillager in question. The pillager refused to answer and Dream ignored that as he continued with a growing smirk, "Then you remember how I told you that you'd regret what you did?"

  
A shiver washed over the pillager's body and some of the other pillagers tensed. Tubbo turned to Ranboo in confusion, "What's he mean?"

  
"I dunno..."

  
"Don't worry about it," Skeppy whispered, all the others quiet and unsure what to say as they watched this go down. Dream's smirk wasn't a friendly one. He looked even more intimidating than before with the child-like smiley-faced mask on.

  
Dream stood and gestured for Wilbur and Skeppy to come forward before glaring down at the pillager in question, "This is you regretting it."

  
"You want us to help you carry them down?" Wilbur asked slowly and Dream nodded, yanking the pillager in front of him to his feet. Skeppy and Wilbur silently grabbed two other pillagers while Sapnap grabbed another.

  
"I'll help too," Quackity spoke quietly as he grabbed the final one and Dream flashed him a brief look of gratitude before they all filed in a line to push the pillagers down the steps.

  
It was insanely quiet as Dream led them to the long staircase and began to descend. He chuckled under his breath when the pillager struggled a little. He tightened his hands immediately, "You guys are a bunch of sick _bastards_. Capturing people and taking away their freedom. Threatening them with the lives of their friends and torturing them when they don't do what you want."

  
"And _you're_ any better?" The pillager scoffed, glaring over his shoulder. Dream glared, baring his teeth, "You killed all our companions in various ways without even blinking an eye and now you're gonna leave us to rot in a torturous death. Don't act like you're better than me."

  
"He _is_ better than you," Sapnap growled out before Dream could even open his mouth to retaliate, "And you _definitely_ don't deserve a quick death from all the people you've killed or tortured. So shut the fuck up."

  
The air was charged suddenly, making Skeppy, Quackity, and Wilbur a tad bit uncomfortable but the pillagers said nothing more as they finally reached the iron door at the bottom. Dream pushed the guy inside before moving away so that the others could do the same. He immediately latched the door closed once all pillagers were inside, feeling immense relief.

  
"You gave me a warning so allow me to give _you_ one as well," The pillager spoke up from behind the door just as Dream was turning away. He froze, looking over his shoulder, "If you think it ends _here_ , you're wrong. There are more of us out there. We may have underestimated you here but the others won't."

  
"Good," Dream snorted before walking away. He met Sapnap's eyes and noticed the slack in his shoulders from relief. He smiled and put his arm around Sapnap, "Let's get back, yeah? We don't have to worry about them now."

  
"Yeah..." Sapnap smiled gratefully and turned to Wilbur, Quackity, and Skeppy, "C'mon guys. Let's get up to everyone and get outta here for good!"

* * *

The moment they were out of the warped forest was the moment everyone began relaxing just a little bit more, chatting just a bit louder, and even the random prisoners were cheering amongst themselves at having escaped. Dream couldn't feel fully relieved yet. He still had an armful of unconscious George and he couldn't even treat him properly until they were out of the nether.

After much debate, Dream decided that Wilbur was right and that they should follow Tommy and Tubbo back to the portal they came through. It was the portal that Wilbur was forced to go through when he was captured and where they tracked him to, so it made sense for them to go that way if they wanted a chance to meet up with Techno.

Even though everyone was talking almost non-stop as they walked, Dream and Sapnap stayed silent, walking side by side as they scanned their surroundings constantly. It wasn't that everyone else wasn't as vigilant, or maybe they actually weren't, but they just were so excited to all be together and out of the fortress that they couldn't stop chatting.

That could be said for Skeppy and Bad especially, who couldn't go one moment without being pressed against each other. Bad's arm was looped into Skeppy's and his face was bright as he kept telling Skeppy stories of what he'd been up to. Skeppy soaked it all in with a look on his face like he'd just gotten married to his soulmate or something. Nikki, Wilbur, and Tommy seemed to be getting along as well, talking back and forth relentlessly. Tommy teased that Nikki was Wilbur's new girlfriend but Nikki just laughed and denied it, saying she was Wilbur's new best friend instead.

Tubbo was cheerfully talking with Ranboo, almost too fast like he couldn't get everything he wanted to say out quick enough. It was kind of amusing. Ranboo, to his credit, simply stayed silent and listened to him with a small smile on his face, only speaking back when he was asked a direct question.

They fought off mobs whenever they got too close once they hit a crimson forest. This only happened a small handful of times after they left the warped forest. Fundy and Karl had to help Quackity after he'd gotten tangled in a vine trying to escape a hoglin. Dream was almost ready to charge full force until Antfrost killed the hoglin, laughing his ass off at the fact that Quackity got himself stuck in vines. It was the _one_ moment where Sapnap actually cracked a genuine smile.

There wasn't truly trouble until they came down a nether rack hill outside the crimson forest and came close to not one, but _two_ different ghasts that were floating past each other. And of course, they were detected. Dream gasped, curling his arms around George. The ghasts immediately started to screech and spit fireballs at them. Dream shouted, "Scatter!"

"Holy shit!" Karl gasped, not having seen a ghast in years. He was tackled out of the direct line of fire by Quackity. The force of the blast made them both roll on the ground a good distance away.

"Are you guys okay?!" Nikki gasped out.

"We're good," Quackity hissed as he pushed himself up on shaky arms. The ghasts continued to spit at the group and they hysterically jumped around, trying to find hiding spots.

"Try to hit the fireballs back at them!" Dream called out as he ducked behind a small hill with Sapnap and Antfrost. He watched Bad pull Skeppy to the side out of the range of fire and arm an arrow in his crossbow.

"That seems impossible Big D!" Tommy cried out, having almost gotten hit with a blast. Wilbur ground his teeth together, standing in front of Tommy and Nikki with his sword drawn. A bunch of the random prisoners were trying to duck or hide behind shields and little nether rack hills.

The ghasts both focused on one spot and spit two fireballs. Ranboo's eyes widened as he realized where the fireballs were heading. He turned and practically threw Tubbo over his shoulder, leaping down a small incline as Tubbo shrieked in surprise. Sapnap leaned down from where he was hiding with Antfrost and Dream to look at them with wide eyes, "Holy shit! You guys okay?!"

"I-I'm good," Tubbo gave a thumbs up to Sapnap despite Ranboo's shoulder digging into his stomach painfully. He grinned at Ranboo, "Thanks buddy!"

"No problem...that jump wasn't good on my knees though," Ranboo chuckled briefly before slowly putting him down and pulling him to hide out of the line of fire.

"I can't hit those stupid fireballs!" Wilbur grunted as he nudged Nikki and Tommy towards an indent in the wall.

"That's only cause you're hesitating!" Dream called out to him and Wilbur felt annoyance run through him.

"Well why don't _you_ try it then if it's so easy!?"

"I've done it before but I can't right now because I'm holding George!" Dream yelled, his eyebrow twitching behind his mask. Another part of him thought this whole thing was amusing if their lives weren't in danger by two ghasts.

"I can't get a good enough shot!" Bad cried out in frustration and Skeppy frowned. The ghasts stopped spitting towards Wilbur and Bad, suddenly turning their attention towards Quackity and Karl, both of whom had just gotten up from the ground as Fundy helped them.

"Karl! Guys watch out!!" Antfrost shrieked and the three turned and paled, barely leaping out of the way in time. The force of the two blasts that hit the ground caused them to stumble and hit the ground harshly. The ghasts immediately readied to shoot at them again.

"KARL! QUACKITY!" Sapnap shouted worriedly and Dream got ready to put George on the ground despite the heat and help them until the one of the ghasts suddenly shrieked in agony. 

"What the fuck?!" Tommy gasped out as the ghast basically evaporated. Another arrow shot out and hit the other remaining ghast. It shrieked before disappearing and slowly everyone peeked their heads out of their hiding spots to look at where the arrow came from.

"That...was that you Bad?" Dream asked as they looked around warily. Bad frowned worriedly.

"No, I couldn't shoot them clearly with everything going on. That came from someone else," Bad explained as he and Skeppy stepped further out. Nikki spotted something up on a cliffside in the small distance.

"Oh my gosh!" She gasped, pointing her finger at where she was looking. She didn't have words for the stunning sight. Everyone quickly looked at where she was pointing. Someone stood on the cliff looking around intently until their eyes landed on their group.

Dream, Bad, Wilbur, Tommy, and Tubbo all sucked in a breath or gasped at the sight of the figure's pig-faced mask. Tommy cried out in relief, "It's _Techno_! TECHNOO!!!!"

"Oh thank God," Quackity gasped out as he leaned on Fundy and Karl, putting his arms around them. Fundy protested weakly trying to hold him up while Karl's eyes widened at the sight of Techno.

Techno's gaze zeroed in on where Tommy was shouting and he turned hastily, his mouth moving as if he were talking to someone but the group couldn't tell what he was saying. And then Wilbur's eyes widened when another figured joined Techno on the edge of the cliff. A man with a green and white hat he'd recognize anywhere and blonde hair stood next to Techno with a long grayish cape behind him that almost looked like wings.

Dream's eyes widened at the sight of them and he gasped when the blonde-haired male's eyes widened when he saw the group before he actually leapt off the cliff and opened up his cape to glide down to them. What the hell was _that_?! The blonde immediately ran at Tommy and Wilbur, throwing his arms around them tightly, "Are you guys both safe?!"

"A bit scratched up but otherwise okay Phil!" Wilbur laughed brightly, hugging back, "I can't believe you and Techno are here!"

"We've been scouting around the portal just in case Tommy or Tubbo came back for whatever reason," Phil explained and chuckled when Tommy wrestled out of his hug, "Techno's on his way down."

"It's so nice to meet you!" Skeppy grinned as he tugged Bad back into his side. Bad smiled, "We've heard a lot about you from Wilbur."

Dream, Sapnap, and Antfrost all got closer to hear everything being said. Phil smiled as he caught everyone's name and then jumped when Tommy gasped loudly, looking as if he forgot something. He looked around immediately, "Tubbo?!"

"We're down here!" Tubbo called and Tommy went running forward at once. He looked over the small incline and helped Tubbo climb back up before they both pulled Ranboo back up as well. Tubbo's eyes brightened, "Phil!!"

"Hello Tubbo," Phil chuckled after the tiny blonde hugged him then his eyes landed on Dream and George in his arms, "Is he alright?"

"No...he might have had a heatstroke," Dream explained quietly, studying Phil, "We need to get out of here..."

"Follow me," Phil said as his eyes hardened and his mouth tightened, "We'll get everyone treated once we're back in the overworld."

Everyone followed behind Phil with relief that they were almost out of the nether. They were lucky Techno and Phil were close by when the ghasts decided to attack them. Dream frowned and pulled George closer to his chest. George's skin was still kind of splotchy and he was still sweating, but not as much as before. His heart was still racing a little and Dream felt terrible for not being able to do anything to help him.

Phil lead them up an incline where they had to climb and once everyone reached the top, he lead them straight to where Techno was running at them at full speed. Tommy shrieked in shock when Techno basically body slammed him in some kind of unique hug that lasted maybe three seconds before he turned, eyeing Wilbur with a glint in his eyes.

Wilbur's eyes widened, "Uh, no Techno....no!"

Techno ignored him and body-slammed him as well as Phil laughed loudly. Nikki also giggled, half shocked at the way such an intimating-looking guy like Techno hugged someone. Techno leaned back and his eyes widened behind his mask when he caught sight of Dream and Bad, "I figured I might be seeing you guys."

"It's so nice to see you again Techno!" Bad grinned with an open-mouth smile and Dream simply nodded in greeting. Techno eyed the way Sapnap shifted closer to Dream and how Bad had his arm in Skeppy's. Techno smirked.

"I see you found your loved ones. That's pog," He grinned out, leaving most of them confused at the word while Wilbur, Tommy, and Tubbo laughed. Dream allowed a tiny grin when Sapnap's eyes widened as he looked between Techno and Dream while Skeppy chuckled, pulling Bad closer to him until Bad whined.

Phil smiled, "C'mon let's get everyone out of here. Looks like some of you need medical attention."

"Yeah no kidding," Karl sighed as he rubbed a cut on his arm. Sapnap's eyes bulged at the sight of it.

"When did you get hurt?!" Sapnap demanded, practically flying to his side. Karl let out hysterical laughs and Quackity joined him while Fundy looked incredulous.

"Fundy's sword accidently nicked me when those ghasts blasted at us," Karl explained as everyone began following an amused Phil and Techno, "It's fine Sap..."

"Don't worry, we don't have long to walk before we get to the portal," Phil assured over his shoulder as he looked at Tommy, "You and Wil aren't hurt right? What happened by the way?"

"We're not hurt," Tommy grinned as he looked cocky, "And we all broke out and fought back against those pillagers! We totally took care of them!"

"Who did most of the work?" Dream muttered and Tommy glared at him while Sapnap, Antfrost, and Fundy laughed.

"That'd be _Ranboo_ ," Tubbo butt in and Ranboo jumped at suddenly being included. Dream blinked over at Tubbo before laughing for the first time in awhile.

"You're right," Dream grinned and Ranboo blushed when Techno and Phil studied him with wide eyes like they just noticed him.

"Whoa...you are quite a mysterious looking fellow aren't you?" Phil smiled, raising an eyebrow. Techno studied Ranboo with narrowed eyes.

Tubbo frowned when he noticed Ranboo getting nervous, "Don't stare at him like that, Techno! He's my friend now!"

Techno rose an eyebrow in silent amusement while Tommy rolled his eyes, "Tubbo, you adopt everyone as your friend I swear...."

" _Jealous_ ," Skeppy coughed under his breath while Bad and Nikki giggled. Wilbur choked back a laugh as Tommy glared over at them.

"Is that the portal?!" Fundy shouted, startling some of them, especially Quackity by how loud he was. His eyes were wide. They all turned to study the way ahead of them and, sure enough, there was a portal up on the hill in the small distance. Dream felt his heart stutter excitedly at the sight and he pushed George's body closer to his, curling his arms around him desperately. So close....

"Let's _go_!" Quackity and Karl cheered simultaneously while Antfrost rose an eyebrow at how in sync they just were.

"Follow me. Once we get through the portal I'll lead you to the small army I brought with me," Techno spoke, his voice annoyingly monotone, "We'll get you all settled in and treat those injuries."

"You actually brought a small army?" Wilbur asked in amusement and Techno smirked in response.

"Yes. It's too bad that I didn't get to fight anyone," Techno sighed, looking genuinely put off. Tubbo and Tommy laughed at the expression.

"You aren't the only one. I had such plans," Phil sighed out as he shook his head playfully, "I'll go through last just to make sure everyone makes it through the portal okay."

Techno nodded seriously before turning to Dream, "Follow behind me directly Dream and I'll take you to our town's healer. He came with and will be able to help George."

Dream blinked before looking relieved, "Okay. Great..."

Dream was glad they had someone with them that knew what they were doing because Dream wasn't sure how to treat someone that may or may not have had a heatstroke. He only knew that they needed to be cooled down. Dream looked down at George in his arms and rubbed his thumb along George's arm. While everyone else was chatting or cheering, Dream whispered, hoping George could somehow hear him, "Don't worry, George. You'll be okay I'll make _sure_ of it. I got you...."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I was LIVING for all those little moments with everyone. You don't even know! Also...the way Techno straight up "techno-planed" his brothers in a hug!!!! Yes! 🥰
> 
> It was a bit difficult to make sure I kept up with everyone without having too many unnecessary details. I struggle with that as a writer so I hope I did everyone justice! I also kind of struggle with fight scenes... 😭😖
> 
> Anyways, any comments and feedback are appreciated! I always make sure to reply! Love you guys and I hope you have a really good weekend! 🙌🥂


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George gets treated, the others meet more of Techno's people, and Dream learns a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I took a little bit of a break which didn't feel like much of a break since I work. Any-who, thank you so much for your continued support! I love reading all your comments and seeing the kudos/bookmarks going up is a pleasure! 👏 🥰
> 
> IMPORTANT TO NOTE: With this story I AM NOT strictly following any Dream SMP plotline, so I don't want anyone to expect that. I do take inspiration and aspects of certain things that happened in the Dream SMP and put it in the story but not everything is going to relate to the SMP. I just wanted to address this because I've gotten questions about it.

Dream nearly lost his grip on George as soon as he stepped through the nether portal. He'd forgotten the intense dizziness and nausea he felt the first time he went through a nether portal. As he clenched his eyes shut, his arms curled around George to make sure he didn't drop him.

  
Despite the dizziness, Dream could already feel the coolness in the air. He didn't realize how warm he was until they'd stepped through the portal. Someone took a deep breath by his side and sighed, "W-Wow...I don't remember it being _this_ bad..."

  
Dream chuckled, opening his eyes to glance at Sapnap by his side with a squint. Sapnap was holding his head in one hand. Karl was by his side, holding onto Sapnap like he was the only thing keeping Karl up. Dream looked around and noticed almost everyone looked like they were affected the same except for Ranboo. 

  
Ranboo was watching Tubbo and Tommy worriedly. Dream was briefly intrigued that Ranboo wasn't affected at all but he looked away when he heard someone shuffle closer to him. He glanced up to see Techno stepping forward and Dream realized he was looking off towards somewhere else.

  
Dream looked up, straightening slightly when he realized they were in a big open plains field with little to no trees. There were multiple people walking around through numerous insanely large tents. Dream's eyes widened and he heard some of his friends gasp or whisper amongst themselves.

  
"Phil," Techno called as he turned to look behind the group where Phil was standing there silently, "Can you get some of the others to start setting up more tents for our new people here? Then can you settle them in?"

  
"Sure," Phil grinned, his eyes briefly flicking over everyone before he moved. Dream blinked when Techno then turned to him.

  
"Follow me, Dream," Techno urged him as he scowled and Dream simply nodded. He trusted Techno enough that he didn't think Techno would hurt any of them. Not on purpose anyway.

  
He followed Techno as he walked closer to the obvious camp. Dream rose an eyebrow but didn't comment when he turned his head to see Sapnap, Bad, and Skeppy following behind him with frowns on their faces. Techno led them to a big beige tent and immediately went inside. Dream followed him, his arms beginning to feel the effects of carrying George for as long as he had.

  
There was a black-skinned male standing there in a white coat. He seemed startled when he turned to see them all standing there. Dream was briefly surprised by the red, yellow, and black mask that covered nearly all of the male's face except his dark brown eyes. It really stood out since he was wearing white.

  
"Ponk, these are some of the newcomers that came with Wilbur," Techno explained in that monotone voice of his. The man, Ponk, rose an eyebrow as his eyes shifted from studying Dream's masked face to George in his arms, "This is Dream and his friends. And that's George. Will you treat him?"

  
Ponk seemed slightly caught off guard but then he smiled, "Of course. Can you lay him down on the cot?"

  
Dream nodded and stepped forward to the white bedding, gently placing George down. He stepped back when Ponk came around to give him space. This also gave him the opportunity to look around. There were three other white cots in the tent and a table full of what looked like potions and ingredients as well as bandages.

  
"Ponk's our best cleric," Techno said aloud and Dream realized Techno was speaking to him specifically, "So George is in good hands. I'm going to go help Phil now."

  
"Well thanks for that," Ponk laughed, grinning slightly as Techno left the tent before he turned to Dream with a more serious expression, "Can you tell me his symptoms?"

  
Dream immediately went into detail about where George was kept and Bad finally broke his silence by admitting he also thought George had a heatstroke. Ponk hummed in response, his eyes scanning the red splotches on George's chest and thighs.

  
"Will he be alright?" Sapnap asked anxiously, shuffling his feet. Skeppy was right beside him, looking torn between moving around and pulling Bad back to his side. 

  
"I'll make sure of it," Ponk reassured, his eyes never leaving George, "He's severely dehydrated but I can give him fluids that'll solve that no problem. His body temperature is really high which is causing his skin to break out in these splotches. Almost like heat rashes if you will."

  
"Those will go away if we lower his body temperature, right?" Bad asked quietly, looking down at George with worry. Ponk blinked, looking over at Bad.

  
"That's right. Are you a cleric too?" Ponk questioned, tilting his head. Bad seemed surprised by that.

  
"Well no...I know a few things but I'm a librarian..." Bad smiled politely and Ponk's eyes widened slightly.

  
"Interesting...." He trailed off before leaning back to walk over to the table. He grabbed a clear bag and started filling it with liquids. Then Ponk glanced at Dream, "Dream, wasn't it? Can you hand me that metal stand behind you there?"

  
Dream looked behind him to see two thin metal stands with hooks attached to the ends. He silently moved it around towards Ponk and watched as he attached the clear bag of liquids to it. There was a plastic tube attached to the end of the bag and Dream watched with curiosity as Ponk attached the other end to a needle and walked over to George.

  
Sensing his stare, Ponk turned and smiled, "This contains the fluids I was talking about. It's something I invented myself to treat dehydrated patients. It has certain vitamins in it."

  
"Fascinating," Bad gasped out even though Ponk was talking to Dream. Dream felt a smirk grow on his face when Bad blushed like he didn't mean to say that out loud. Skeppy chuckled, slowly moving closer to Bad.

  
"When will he wake up?" Sapnap asked intently, his eyes going from Ponk to George every so often. Ponk's expression softened.

  
"Once his body temperature and heart rate go back to normal, I'd say a few hours," Ponk explained and Dream felt immediate relief hit him. They weren't too late to save George. He was going to be alright.

  
"Thank God..." Sapnap sighed, his body slowly losing tension. 

  
Ponk leaned back after inserting the needle into the inside of George's elbow. He eventually grabbed a bowl of cool water and two sponges. Bad immediately offered to help Ponk wipe down George's body. Dream tensed and Ponk must have misunderstood his tenseness because he explained, "Sponging his body with cool water will be the quickest way to bring down his body temperature."

  
Dream silently nodded, willing the funny feeling in his chest to go away as he watched both Ponk and Bad rub sponges across George's pale skin. He felt someone staring at him and looked over, raising his eyebrow behind his mask when he crossed stares with Sapnap.

  
Sapnap gave him a thoughtful stare before he smiled a little, "This doesn't feel real to me yet..."

  
"You mean...being out?" Dream asked, frowning a bit. Sapnap nodded, looking around blankly, "You'll get used to it no time."

  
"Yeah..." Sapnap trailed off, glancing over his shoulder, "I wonder what the others are doing..."

  
"Probably having the time of their life exploring this camp," Dream shrugged, going silent when Ponk set aside the bowl of water and pulled a thin blanket halfway up George's body.

  
"I've done what I can. His body temperature is already starting to come down," Ponk explained as he turned to Dream and Sapnap, "You are more than welcome to stay in here with him but I better go see who else I need to treat."

  
"Thanks doc," Sapnap grinned a little, "I have another friend named Karl. He had a cut on his skin that might need stitches."

  
Ponk laughed a little, grabbing a small brown bag and throwing it over his shoulder, "I'll look out for him then. If you need me then come search for me."

  
"Thanks," Dream replied as he nodded. Ponk smiled once more before leaving the tent. Bad and Skeppy shared a look.

  
"I think we're going to go find out where we're staying tonight," Skeppy said as he grinned, grabbing Bad's hand in his. Dream smiled at the sight.

  
"You'll tell me when he wakes up, right Dream?" Bad asked, shooting George another worried look, "I wanna be there when he wakes up!"

  
"I'll get you when he wakes up, don't worry," Dream chuckled, feeling a bit warm at seeing Bad's obvious concern for George. Bad smiled before allowing Skeppy to pull him out of the tent.

  
Dream turned to Sapnap after it was just them, "Come here."

  
"What?" Sapnap tilted his head in confusion. Dream moved to another cot close to George's and patted it with his hand.

  
"Sit here for a sec," Dream ordered and Sapnap rose an eyebrow but stayed silent as he did what Dream ordered. Dream turned to grab a white strip of cloth and dipped it in the cool water.

  
"What are you doing?" Sapnap questioned, still confused as Dream turned around and walked closer to Sapnap. He went silent again when Dream grabbed one of his arms and began wiping the dried blood around scratch marks Sapnap made on himself the night before.

  
"I'm sorry, Pandas," Dream muttered, feeling a new wave of guilt as he stared at the marks on his friends arms that matched the ones of his face.

  
Sapnap startled, his eyes widening at the use of his old nickname, "What?"

  
"If I hadn't froze up back then, you know, when our village was attacked...we might have been able to get away together and you wouldn't have been captured," Dream murmured sourly. 

  
"Oh..." Sapnap frowned, hating the look he knew his friend had behind the mask, "Dream I never blamed you. Not for _one_ second, you know that right?"

  
"I know..." Dream trailed off, though his shoulders lost some of their tension. Sapnap's frown deepened.

  
"If you really think its your fault then you already redeemed yourself by looking for me all this time," Sapnap said pointedly and surprised Dream by grabbing the cloth out of his hands to wipe his wounds himself, "I know these scratches say otherwise but I'm not so fragile dude."

  
Dream snorted in amusement, "Right...I just needed to say that I guess."

  
"I get it," Sapnap replied quietly, staring anywhere but at Dream as he began wiping his face. 

  
Dream turned back to George after that and grabbed a sponge from the bowl of cool water. He squeezed some excess water from it before gently rubbing George's forehead with it. He continued to do this with his neck and chest and was happy that the red splotches were already fading a bit.

  
"Dream, can I ask you something?" Sapnap asked behind him and Dream nodded, wiping down George's chest, "Are you in love with George or something?"

  
Dream choked on his own breath, dropping the sponge on George's chest accidentally. His eyes widened and he turned to Sapnap, who was watching him carefully, "W-Why?"

  
"It's kind of obvious," Sapnap grinned a little, "The way you act when he's mentioned and the way you were acting since we've gotten out."

  
"How is that obvious?" Dream asked with narrowed eyes, "I didn't do anything out of the ordinary..."

  
"Dude your arms would almost be shaking but you wouldn't ask anyone else to hold George," Sapnap rolled his eyes, "And friends don't look at each other the way you look at George. You also seemed jealous earlier when Ponk was rubbing George down with a sponge."

  
Dream flushed red against his will and scowled when Sapnap chuckled. Sapnap smiled at Dream, "You know it doesn't matter to me right? I think it's great that you're in love with George!"

  
"You do?" Dream asked, confused. Sapnap rose an eyebrow.

  
"Uh, yes. I'm not homophobic you know," Sapnap scoffed and Dream chuckled once at the look on his face, "And it's great because I think George is in love with you too."

  
Dream's heart skipped a couple of beats and he felt nervous fluttering in his stomach. And then memories of George crept in. Dream frowned slightly, "How much do you know about George, Sapnap?"

  
Sapnap rose an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

  
"He pretty much grew up on his own without friends...he basically raised himself," Dream said with a scowl. Sapnap's eyes widened as he looked over at George.

  
"I knew a little bit...but wow," Sapnap frowned, his eyes narrowing.

  
"Yeah...I've talked to Bad about my feelings for George but..." Dream stopped, sighing loudly, "George finally has friends, people that care about him. I don't want to overwhelm him by trying to approach him romantically. I don't even know if he likes guys or not Sapnap..."

  
Sapnap's eyes widened further, "That's heavy stuff man...."

  
"Right," Dream rolled his eyes.

  
"You know the only way to know for _sure_ is to ask him, right?" Sapnap retorted, raising an eyebrow.

  
"I know but...I can't just _spring_ it on him! And if I just randomly question if he likes guys then he'll want to know why I asked!" Dream stressed, freaking out slightly as he imagined it in his head. 

  
"Okay, look," Sapnap started, looking a bit concerned now that Dream was freaking out, "You've got time. There's no rush!"

  
Dream let out a slow breath, automatically feeling calmer, "Right...no rush...things don't have to change so quickly, right?"

  
"Right," Sapnap grinned, relieved that his friend appeared calmer.

  
They both jumped when someone entered the tent with a loud flapping-noise before calming when they noticed it was just Techno. Sapnap still felt that Techno was intimidating with his royal-like appearance and pig-faced mask. 

  
"He seems better already," Techno commented, gesturing to George. Dream nodded slowly, staring at Techno. He turned to look at Dream and Sapnap again, "We're still setting up more tents for your friends. However, I'd like you both to follow me so I can introduce you to some loyal partners of mine."

  
Dream immediately felt intrigued but also hesitant to leave George alone. Before he could even voice this aloud, Ponk came into the tent, freezing momentarily when he noticed Techno there, "Fine. We'll come with you."

  
"Where are you going?" Ponk asked, raising an eyebrow.

  
"I'm going to introduce them to some friends," Techno replied mysteriously.

  
"Can you stay with him until we get back?" Dream asked intently and Ponk just smiled, nodding his head. Dream cast one last worried look at George before following Techno out with Sapnap silently on his heels.

  
"Not that I mind but, why is it so important to meet these people now?" Sapnap asked and Dream was kind of glad he did. He had the same question in mind after all.

  
Techno chuckled deeply, "You want to stay in my town, right? Then you should want to meet people with important roles in said town."

  
"Right..." Sapnap blushed a little out of embarrassment. He didn't think of it that way before. Dream just felt curious. People with important roles? He wondered how many of those there were in Techno's town since it was so prosperous.

  
Dream was brought out of his thoughts when they came walking up on a familiar group of people. He immediately recognized them as the friends he escaped with. 

  
"Sapnap!!!" Karl cried out dramatically while Quackity laughed. 

  
"Karl! Quackity!" Sapnap cried out just as dramatically, running up to hug both of them. Dream watched with interest. Karl and Quackity were in the same hall of cells with Sapnap, so he was obviously really close with them.

  
"How's George?!" 

  
Dream jumped, turning halfway to face a worried-looking Ranboo. Ranboo was such an intimidating person, more than himself and Techno. He was just so _tall_ he was basically a giant. He recognized Tubbo and Tommy hovering behind Ranboo.

  
"George is going to be okay," Dream said slowly and blinked in surprise when numerous people in the group sighed with relief. It caused something warm to stir in his heart that even some of them that have only heard about George but haven't met him yet could be so worried for him. 

  
"I knew he would be!" Bad grinned from Skeppy's side. Skeppy sent Dream a smile that could mean anything really and Dream smiled back.

  
"Now that everyone's here, who are we supposed to be meeting?" Nikki's soft voice spoke up, looking between Wilbur at her side and Techno.

  
"Phil is bringing them here," Techno explained in a simple tone.

  
"Don't worry, they're all amazing!" Tubbo grinned brightly and Tommy rolled his eyes.

  
"Well one of 'em is pretty sus," Tommy muttered under his breath but Dream heard him all the same, raising an eyebrow at the chaotic blonde.

  
"I'm bad with names," Antfrost complained and Fundy laughed, patting his back.

  
"Me too but oh well, right?" Fundy retorted, looking too excited about being free to give a crap about anything else. Ant chuckled.

  
"Ah, here they come," Techno announced and Dream noticed a lot of his friends went rigid. He tensed as well though he didn't feel worried. Distantly he felt that he should make a good first impression since he wanted to stay in Techno's town, village, whatever it was...but Dream was never really good at first impressions.

  
Phil came into view with three people walking behind him. Once he reached Techno's side he shifted out of the way. The three people immediately began studying each and every one of them. One was a woman with long curly chestnut brown hair and a pair of black glasses on top of her head. She was wearing diamond armor and underneath that it appeared that she wore a rainbow colored sweater. It was very distracting.

  
The man on her left had tan skin, blue eyes, and short dark brown hair. He also had a small beard around his mouth and chin. By his side stood another male and Dream's eyes widened slightly when he noticed the man's eyes were actually purple. He had purple eyes, dark tan skin, and dark dirty-blonde hair.  
Dream watched as all of their eyes widened at the sight of him before they actually tensed up at the sight of Ranboo. He noticed Ranboo tense up as well, huddling in on himself like he was trying to disappear. A surge of empathy welled in him.

  
"This is Ranboo!" Tubbo said loudly. The suddenness startled everyone _including_ Techno, which made Phil laugh into his fist, desperately trying to conceal it. 

  
"Jesus, Tubbo. You blew my damn ear out!" Tommy complained, mainly because he felt embarrassed to be so caught off guard. Techno could relate.

"Language!" Bad cried out, making Skeppy chuckle under his breath.

  
"Oops, sorry," Tubbo grinned, not looking apologetic in the slightest. Wilbur shook his head, smirking.

  
"Anyways," Phil drawled, clearing his throat after Techno frowned at him for laughing at him. He turned to the three strangers, "I'll introduce these guys. The woman is Captain Puffy. She's the captain of our security guard back at home."

  
The woman, Puffy, brightened and smiled eagerly at them all. Dream was a bit intrigued that this woman was apparently a good enough fighter to be a captain of anything.

  
"This is Hbomb," Phil introduce the male to her left. The one with the beard, "He's our farmer but he also a good fighter and volunteered for this mission when he heard what happened."

  
Hbomb grinned, waving his hand. Wilbur snickered, "You came to save me, Hbomb?"

  
"You know it, Wil," Hbomb winked, laughing after he did. Dream heard Sapnap and Karl snicker by his side.

  
Phil rolled his eyes before gesturing to the final male, "This here is Purpled. He's our armor smith _and_ one of our best warriors."

  
Purpled nodded his head politely, still studying everyone. Phil directed everyone to introduce themselves one at a time for Puffy, Purpled, and Hbomb. Dream waited until last to introduce himself, "My name is Dream..."

  
"Nice mask," Puffy said with a teasing smile on her face, "Not something you'd expect someone to be wearing."

  
Dream just smiled, not sure what to say to that. Tommy blurted, "Have you seen Ponk's mask? I wasn't too surprised when I saw Dream's weird mask."

  
Dream rolled his eyes, remembering how Tommy and the others reacted to seeing him wear it for the first time. Techno cleared his throat, "Puffy, I already broke the nether portal so we couldn't be followed just in case but to be safe will you assign some guards to it?"

  
"Already on it," Puffy nodded, grinning as she turned to the others, "See you guys around!"

  
"Bye..." Nikki waved and Puffy beamed at her friendliness before skipping off. Techno turned to the other two, "Hbomb, Purpled, will you help the others finish putting up tents for our newcomers?"

  
"Sure," Hbomb grinned, giving a thumbs up, "I also can't wait to get to know everyone more."

  
"Same here," Quackity grinned back. Purpled stayed quiet but he didn't look tense or put off so Dream figured that he was just a quiet type of person. Or he wasn't comfortable speaking too much with them yet. He could understand what that's like.

  
"Before you all leave," Techno called, making everyone silent, "We'll be questioning each of you individually just as protocol for entry to the town. I should be able to accept each and every one of you unless you have some terrible crime hidden in your past."

  
"Woo!!" Karl cheered, his face bright. Sapnap and Quackity laughed.

  
"I can't wait to finally be in a town again!" Fundy grinned eagerly and everyone began cheering amongst themselves. Dream noticed Phil watching them all with a sad smile on his face.

  
Dream glanced at Techno, catching his eye, "I'm gonna head back to George now."

  
Techno rose an eyebrow at him but didn't comment, "Alright. Phil and I will probably be by to question you later."

  
"Okay," Dream shrugged, turning to walk off the way he came. He couldn't help but feel worried the longer he was away from George. What if he woke up all alone and confused? Dream wanted to be there when he woke up.

  
He heard someone behind him and glanced over his shoulder, grinning when he saw Sapnap keeping pace with him. Sapnap looked much better than he had before. The dried blood was gone from his face and his scratches looked better already. And he actually had a content look to his face.

  
"George won't believe all this when he wakes up!" Sapnap commented from nowhere as he looked up and crossed gazes with Dream.

  
Dream laughed, "No, he'll freak out. That's why I wanna be there when he wakes up."

  
"Me too," Sapnap said as his smile slowly fell, "Plus I'm worried about what those bastards told him when they put him in the sweatbox."

  
Dream nearly froze mid-walk. That wasn't something that occurred to him. What had George thought when he was forced into that room? Did they say anything to him or did they say nothing to him at all?

  
"We'll just put his worries to rest then," Dream scowled, feeling anger rise up in his chest, "He doesn't have to worry about them anymore..."

  
"Yeah," Sapnap replied quietly, "Are you going to tell Techno about that guy's warning from before? And the fact that there's a pillager base here in the overworld?"

  
"I will eventually," Dream sighed out, feeling tired just thinking about it, "Right now we just need to focus on _us_. Those pillagers aren't able to do much now anyways."

  
"True," Sapnap hummed and they went quiet when they reached the beige tent. Dream opened it, relieved when he saw Ponk sitting next to George, who wasn't awake yet.

  
Dream walked over to George's other side as Ponk greeted them. He was delighted when he noticed the red splotches on his milky pale skin all gone. Ponk smiled, "Welcome back. I gave him another sponge bath to continue to cool him. His heart rate is normal now and his body temperature is almost normal as well."

  
"That's great!" Sapnap beamed, getting closer to the cot by George's feet.

  
"Yes it is," Ponk grinned, "Now that you are back I need to go for a bit. If anything changes then send for me, okay?"

  
"Alright. Thanks," Dream said genuinely and Ponk just continued to grin as he slid out of the tent.

  
"I like him. He seems pretty cool," Sapnap snickered, "I always imagined clerics as old dudes with no life though."

  
"Stereotypical, Sapnap," Dream rolled his eyes and Sapnap broke out into laughter.

* * *

  
For the next thirty minutes, Dream and Sapnap got comfortable and talked about little things while they waited for George to wake up. Dream thought of something to ask, "Hey...is there something you're wanting to do?"

  
Sapnap blinked over at him, caught off guard, "What do ya mean?"

  
"I mean in Techno's village," Dream licked his lips that were dry, "Is there something you want to do occupation wise? I feel like that's a question that he'll ask..."

  
Sapnap's eyes widened briefly before he hummed, thinking it over, "Honestly...well this'll sound so self-deprecating but...all I'm good for is fighting."

  
Dream scowled, "Shut up. That's not all you're good for."

  
"I don't mean to diss myself," Sapnap gave him a look, "It's true though. It's the only thing I'm good at and I like it when I have a say in it..."

  
Dream frowned, "I understand that...so you want to be a warrior?"

  
"Basically," Sapnap shrugged before he glanced at Dream, "What about you? You're good at fighting too..."

  
"Yeah..." Dream trailed off, looking at the ground in thought, "I want to work up in the ranks of his warriors."

  
"It's weird thinking about you serving under someone," Sapnap said, wrinkling his nose, "I've always pictured you a leader of your own group."

  
"I have trouble following other people's orders," Dream admitted with a small smirk, "But I can make it work. It won't be that big of an issue."

  
"Hmmm, true," Sapnap grinned, "And apparently you can do other things and still be a warrior...like that Hbomb dude. You wouldn't think he's a warrior and a farmer at the same time!"

  
"I was thinking the same," Dream chuckled, "But maybe that's just because they do things differently there. It's actually a relief to know you don't have to stick to just one thing."

  
" _Very_ true," Sapnap said with an eager look to his eyes.

  
They both straightened when they heard running outside the tent. Dream nearly jumped when Karl came flying into the tent, out of breath. Sapnap jumped to attention immediately, "Karl, is something wrong?!"

  
"Oh...no s-sorry," Karl laughed, sounding out of breath, "I just came running to look for you Sapnap."

  
"Why?" Sapnap asked, looking confused as he tilted his head. Karl straightened, taking a deep breath before looking to Sapnap again.

  
"So, um, they're still putting up tents and they finished one for me. They're putting two people to a tent but um....both Quackity and I are used to sleeping with _you_ close by."

  
Sapnap's eyes widened in recognition, "Oh..."

  
Karl looked mildly embarrassed, "Yeah...so we were wondering if you'd sleep in our tent with us so we can all be more comfortable? B-But I understand if you want to sleep with Dream!"

  
Dream immediately snorted, unable to help himself with how that sounded. Sapnap shot him a look though his own mouth wobbled and turned to Karl gently, "Sure, of course Karl."

  
Karl brightened, "Thanks Sap! It just felt so weird since we've slept close to each other for so long..."

  
"I understand, Karl. I hadn't even thought of it," Sapnap grinned, "Need help setting things up?"

  
"Actually that'd be a huge help," Karl laughed, fixing his hair, "We've almost got our tent ready on the inside."

  
"Well if I'm sleeping there it's got to pass my standards," Sapnap joked and Karl laughed. Sapnap turned to Dream, "Get me if you need me or if he wakes up?"

  
Dream watched them in amusement, "Sure Sap..."

  
Sapnap and Karl walked out of the tent together and Dream watched Sapnap listen to Karl talk with a warm look in his eyes that left him wondering if Sapnap had more than friendship feelings towards Karl. He made a mental note to ask him about it another time. He could be reading into that one look too much.

  
Dream glanced at George and felt a pang in his chest at the thought that George might not wake up before everyone went to sleep. If that were the case Dream doubted that he could sleep anywhere else.

  
Several minutes passed, Dream wasn't sure exactly how long, when he heard more than one person shuffle closer to the tent. He watched silently, his eyes widening when Techno and Philza stepped through.

  
"Where's Sapnap?" Techno asked, looking around the tent.

  
"He went with Karl to help him set up his tent," Dream answered, watching as they both sat on the cot across from him and George. Philza had a pen and notebook of some kind in his hands, "What's that for?"

  
Phil smiled, "This just has some notes for record. We've already questioned some of your friends and I'm writing down anything noteworthy."

  
Dream didn't say anything. He wasn't sure exactly what they considered to be noteworthy. Techno looked at him with seriousness, "Is now a good time for you to answer some routine questions?"

  
Dream appreciated the thoughtful question and nodded, "Guess so. I'm doing nothing but waiting for George to wake up."

  
Techno nodded, "Alright then. First off, can you tell me where you are from in as many details as you can recall?"

  
"I'm from a small village that was in a plain's biome. I can't remember exactly _where_. It's been burned to ashes anyway," Dream muttered with renewed anger. Something like contempt flashed through Philza's eyes at that. 

  
"I see," Techno frowned but didn't comment further. Dream was glad for that, "Obviously this next question is one you can simply lie yourself away but I have to ask....do you have a criminal past?"

  
"No..." Dream answered hesitantly, "I'm not wanted for bounty or anything and the only people I've killed were for self-defense reasons."

  
Techno's mouth quirked in a smile for a second before it was gone while Philza began writing something in his notebook, "Okay, excellent. And, to be clear, you _are_ interested in staying at my village right? As in a permanent residency?"

  
"Yes..." Dream answered, his eyes briefly flicking to George and remembering how excited George had been knowing they had somewhere to go after everything. He smiled a little. George would be so happy.

  
"Okay, awesome. And considering your skills, what would you say you'd want to do there?" Techno asked intently, studying Dream's masked face.

  
Dream resisted the urge to smirk. He _knew_ that was gonna be a question. Good thing he'd already thought of it, "Well, I have significant experience as a warrior. I'd like to be a fighter and maybe I can teach others some skills...I also know how to make armor though I'm not the best at it."

  
"Amazing," Philza grinned, something warm settling in his gaze, "You'd be able to pursue both if you wanted. Though if you become a warrior that'd take precedence and the other thing would be something you learn on the side."

  
"Makes sense," Dream grinned back, his heart thudding in excitement at the confirmation that he doesn't have to limit himself to just one thing.

  
"Alright, final question," Techno leaned back, looking from Philza to Dream again, "Is there _anything_ about you that we should know about?"

  
Dream hesitated, not wanting to come off as a bad person, "Well, to be honest with you...I don't do well with authority figures and I don't like being ordered or bossed around."

  
"You have that in common with this one here," Philza barked out a laugh as he pointed his thumb in Techno's direction. Dream's eyes widened as Techno rolled his eyes. Well, that makes sense now that Dream thinks about it. He immediately felt relief that he wasn't the only one.

  
"Don't worry too much about that," Techno said with a small smirk on his face, "Of course, you'll have people above you but as long as you're not blatantly disrespectful or do anything that brings harm to others then you're fine as you are."

  
Dream sighed in more relief, "Okay, awesome.....is that all?"

  
"Pretty much. You're approved for trial in my village, "Techno grinned and Dream looked up, "It's a two-week trial period that's mainly for my purposes to see how you do living in the village. Once it's over you can decide to leave if you want, of course. If I see anything concerning during the two weeks then I'll ask you to leave. That's how it works."

  
Dream blinked, surprised, "Sounds....pretty reasonable."

  
"Yup...it's saved us a _lot_ of grief," Philza said seriously, something entering his eyes. Dream figured he must be remembering something he didn't like.

  
"Wilbur mentioned how you came up with this process," Dream spoke up, wondering if he was crossing a boundary he shouldn't. Techno and Philza looked at him in surprise, "I mean, it makes sense and all, but I'm curious because of what you just said....has there been a problem in the past?"

  
Techno and Philza exchanged a hardened stare. Dream immediately felt that he shouldn't have asked. Techno then turned to stare at Dream like he was trying to decide on something, "I think it's safe to tell him. He's a leader type and I feel like he should know, just in _case_."

  
"It's your call Techno. Besides...I feel like he's trustworthy too," Philza said as he looked at Dream then to Techno. Dream rose an eyebrow.

  
"You can tell me to buzz off. I'm just curious. I don't want to step on anyone's toes here," Dream frowned and Techno eyed him once more before sighing.

  
"It's not exactly a _secret_..." Techno sighed out before glaring at Dream, "Once I tell you the story though I don't want you spreading it around. And don't you _dare_ ever bring it up around Tubbo."

  
Dream startled, "Tubbo?"

  
"Yeah, we'll get to that," Philza frowned, looking thoughtful, "So the reason we have this process is because someone once betrayed over village....in a sense."

  
"What do you mean?" Dream asked, his eyes widening.

  
"There was this guy that didn't like the way things were run in my village," Techno said roughly, his eyes narrowing, "He had his own ideas about how things should be run and handled. He tried to have me killed and tried to overthrow our king-in-name."

  
"Hold up," Dream felt whiplash by the sudden information, "Wilbur mentioned that too, once, that there was a "king in name". What does that mean exactly? Aren't _you_ the leader?"

  
"Yes but I'm _only_ the leader because everyone looks at me that way. There is a King that rules over the territory. He's descended from the family that's always ruled over that territory. His name is Eret," Techno explained slowly, "I'm the actual leader I guess...I don't really like being called that but everyone looks to me to make decisions. Eret's the king in name and he helps me run things."

  
"Oh...I see now," Dream said, his eyes lighting up in understanding, "And the traitor you were talking about...?"

  
"His name is Schlatt," Philza interjected with a dark frown on his face. It was obvious Philza didn't like this guy very much. Neither did Techno, "Techno and Eret exiled him after he tried to kill Techno and overthrow Eret. No one really understands what Schlatt was thinking. I personally think he got too drunk on power."

  
Dream nodded, frowning, "What does that have to do with Tubbo?"

  
Philza and Techno exchanged another glance before Techno replied heavily, "To be clear, minors are lawfully required to have a guardian living with them until they turn 18."

  
"It's like that in most places," Dream nodded in agreement and his eyes widened as a thought occurred to him.

  
"Well, Tubbo is kind of mystery. He came to our town on his own with no parents. When we questioned him he said he had no living relatives and he refused to open up and tell us where he was from. It was obvious to us that he experienced something awful so we didn't force him to tell us," Techno explained.

  
"Schlatt was still a citizen when Tubbo arrived and offered to adopt him. Everyone was sort of surprised by that because Schlatt wasn't the type of guy to want to be around kids...but he saw something he liked in Tubbo and was very nice to him. As nice as he's capable of anyway," Phil commented, rolling his eyes at the end.

  
Techno's expression twisted, "After Schlatt betrayed us it was clear that Tubbo had _no_ idea Schlatt had those intentions. Tubbo felt betrayed and confused by Schlatt's actions. When I chose to exile Schlatt, he said that he would agree to that and not fight it only on the condition that he could come around to see Tubbo every now and again in a designated place."

  
Dream's eyes widened, "Wow..."

  
Phil frowned, "Yeah...we were worried that he was going to use Tubbo to do something but nothing like that's happened so far and its been two years since his exile. He comes around to see Tubbo now and again as well as give him gifts. It's his way of caring for Tubbo I suppose."

  
"Our relations have improved with Schlatt a little due to that but we can't trust him to live in the village again," Techno said seriously, "Schlatt mainly stays away for Tubbo's benefit I think but I can't speak for his intentions."

  
"I honestly don't know how Tubbo's handled that," Dream commented, frowning as he thought about it. Philza and Techno scowled.

  
"The _only_ person Tubbo ever opens up to is Tommy," Phil sighed lightly, looking sad, "Even then I don't know if Tommy knows where Tubbo comes from."

  
Dream thought back on Tommy's odd worry about Tubbo back at the prison as well as Tubbo's words about going through something similar as they all had.

Dream shrugged, "He might...if I were Tubbo I wouldn't want it talked about."

  
"Right," Techno nodded and he slowly stood, "Anyways, don't spread the story around. It's already got rumors back at the village."

  
"I won't say anything," Dream said seriously and Techno stared at him for a moment before nodding.

  
"We need to go question some of the others now," Phil said as he smiled a little, "Come get one of us if you have questions."

  
"Thanks, I will," Dream nodded and watched silently as they filed out of the tent. He let out a huge sigh and relaxed, glancing at George's face. Even though he was the one that asked he felt like he'd just learned much more than he anticipated.

* * *

Sapnap returned almost an hour later and told Dream how he'd also been questioned along with Quackity and Karl. Sapnap laughed happily as he told Dream how Techno couldn't wait to spar with them to see just how deep their skills with a blade went. Dream wanted to roll his eyes if he weren't excited at the idea of sparring with Technoblade himself.

"They're almost done setting up the tents," Sapnap told him with a grin on his face, "They're not bad at all. A lot bigger than I was expecting. They also have this really big one set up in the center of camp!"

"Really?" Dream asked, raising an eyebrow. He couldn't recall paying all that much attention, "Interesting..."

"Yeah, I think a lot of the others decided to go hangout there," Sapnap said shrugging one shoulder as he shifted to get comfortable, "It's amazing seeing everyone this content..."

Dream smiled at the faraway look in Sapnap's eyes, "Yeah. I'm glad everything worked out."

Sapnap turned to fix him with a stare but he was smiling, "Thanks for not giving up on the idea of escaping. I don't think I could have ever mustered up the courage again..."

Dream wanted to frown at that but he didn't let himself. Instead he smirked playfully, "Only the best for the homies, right?"

Sapnap looked startled before throwing his head back and laughing joyously, "That's right baby!"

Sapnap was still laughing and he snorted loudly in his laughter, making Dream start laughing so hard he wheezed, something he felt like he hadn't done in so long. Sapnap looked even more caught off guard at his laughter and began pounding on the empty cot he was lying against, turning red in the face from how hard he was laughing, "W-What the heck dude you _still_ sound like a tea kettle after all this time!"

Dream just shook his head, hugging himself as he wheezed, leaning against the cot George was on like it was the only thing keeping him upright. Eventually, though, their laughter began to die down. The sound of shuffling caught Dream's attention and he glanced over at the tent's entrance automatically, but he didn't see any signs of someone about to enter.

"Did you hear that Sapnap?" Dream questioned, looking towards his friend that was calming down from his laughter.

"Dude, no..." Sapnap inhaled deeply, "I was too busy dying. What was it?"

Dream rolled his eyes, "Maybe it was nothing then...."

It wasn't until he felt something touch his arm that he jumped and looked down. George's chocolate-brown eyes were open half-way and were a bit hazy from sleep. His gaze was narrowed in on Dream's mask in a squint, "D-Dream...?"

Sapnap gasped, the sound of it loud against the sudden silence that followed George's voice. Dream quickly turned all the way around and grabbed onto George's hand, the one that hit against his arm. He felt his eyes tear up, "George! You're finally awake!"

George blinked at him slowly, his other hand coming up to rub between his eyes. Sapnap took to George's other side, his eyes wide and his face almost pale. George had yet to notice him though. Dream squeezed his hand, "George, you okay?"

"I-I think so?" George replied, sounding uncertain even as he said it. Dream frowned in concern, unsure of what to tell him. George looked around in confusion and he froze when he finally turned his head, seeing Sapnap there, "S-Sapnap?"

"H-Hey George," Sapnap greeted thickly, swallowing after he spoke. They both frowned when George's eyes widened and he gasped, nearly shooting to sit upright. Dream gasped and steadied him, settling him to sit up against the pillows, "George?"

"I was...where is... _oh my God_ ," George stammered, looking around with a wild mixture of fear and confusion. 

"It's okay George. We'll explain everything to you, alright?" Dream soothed, grabbing George's hand again and rubbing the back of it with his thumb. George looked at Dream, thoroughly freaked out but he nodded.

Dream immediately launched into the details of the escape with Sapnap making comments. They noticed how George seemed to calm down the longer they talked but he did raise an eyebrow silently at them when they told him how they forced the pillagers in the sweatbox.

"And now we're in a camp just outside the portal," Dream explained, watching George's face carefully, "Techno's got quite a lot of people here so we're safe here."

"I see..." George trailed off, his expression thoughtful before he seemed relieved, "And everyone is _okay_...that's great."

"Yup and we're going to get to stay in Techno's village," Dream grinned and George looked at him, his eyes widening, "It'll be our new home, Georgie! You'd like that right?"

George smiled, his eyes lighting up a little despite the fact that he still seemed overwhelmed with everything, "Y-Yeah...that'd be amazing!"

"Dude, it'll be _more_ than amazing!" Sapnap smirked, "Just think of how awesome it'll be to live in a place that's actually got it's own security guard!"

"Yeah," George nodded, studying Sapnap's face, "That does sound more than amazing. And you're okay, right Sapnap?"

Something wobbled in Sapnap's expression, "Why're you just asking _me_?"

"Cause Dream seems like his usual weird self," George smiled and Dream 's eyes widened as he gasped.

"What?! Georgie, I'm not weird! What the hell?!" Dream laughed, surprised but thankful that George was already well enough to be joking around with them. Sapnap seemed equally caught off guard as he laughed once.

"True but yeah I'm fine now that _you're_ okay George," Sapnap winked and George made a face at him that caused Dream to wheeze delightfully. Then George shook his head and proceeded to yelp in alarm as he looked down at himself.

"Where's my clothes?!" George demanded as he pulled up the blankets to hide his chest. Sapnap and Dream began bawling in laughter at his maiden act of trying to cover himself, "Stop laughing! Why am I still only in my boxers?!"

"I swear to God I'm gonna _pee_ myself," Dream laughed out causing Sapnap to wail and sink to the ground. George chuckled in disbelief before Dream finally calmed down enough to answer him, "B-Because Ponk had to cool down your skin which was easier to do _without_ clothes."

George blinked, blushing, "O-Oh..…right...makes sense now."

"Don't be embarrassed George. You look good," Dream smirked and laughed once when George blushed further, glaring at him.

He forgot how much he loved to make George blush like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is it about writers and writing misery about their favorite characters? It's because of the fluff and angst! Particularly the fluff that follows! 😘😊
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading! I appreciate any feedback as long as it's not straight rude! Hope you guys are doing great! I wish for nothing but the best for all of you! 🙌


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